Latest train fare rises attacked (BBC News)
 

Above-inflation rail fare increases of more than 6% are "completely out of kilter with the real economy", passenger groups have said.

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"Fare changes this year will help pay for 265,000 extra services, all against a background which is determined by government policy to reduce the call on us as taxpayers."

Not in all areas, I am sure all those regional commuters will enjoy paying extra to fund all those new services direct to London! Got to say Im with the fare paying passengers on this one. Totally not right, they more or less ditch trains to local towns and stations to make way for a load of intercity services (at the inconvinience of commuters) and make them pay more for a worse service.

Oh dear. What appalling publicity for the railways today. I know the TOC's can raise fares by such an amount because the inflation rate was high at
whatever date it was but that was really just due to luck (good or bad depending on your point of view).

I don't believe the average passenger (sorry, customer) will believe it can possibly be justified with the vague promise of investment leading to a better service some time in the future. What they want is a better service TODAY which means more coaches and more seats, better timekeeping, no more turning services back short of their destination (just to massage punctuality figures), lines closed for maintenance with substitute bus services and not fares (particularly walk-on) so high that you need a bank loan before buying a ticket.

According to one media website today, it is the Shareholders that are getting bigger dividends, but as one of them for National Express, I can everybody there is NOT an ounce of truth in their claims, because NE paid shareholders just under a measley 2p per share in 2008.

The main problem is that the government are trying to get the TOCs to provide the money to improve the railways after years of underinvestment!

It's not just the Regions who are paying for London. Southeastern suburban passengers (of which I'm one sadly) are still packed like sardines, but are stumping up an 11% increase for the benefit of those lucky few who will ride the luxury Javelin service.


And let's not forget that this is direct Labour Government policy, handed down through the Office of Rail Regulation. The same Labour Government that spouted the c*** about how it was committed to getting people out of their cars and onto Public Transport. :rolleyes:

Another way for getting some money to invest is for the Fat Cats at the top to take a cut in their massive salaries and expenses, then use that to help fund the railways.