Passengers face weekend delays as train fares rise

Jan 3 2009 by Sam Wood, The Journal

RAIL travellers in the North East have been hit by a New Year double whammy, with increased fares and weekend service disruption.

As National Express East Coast Main Line introduces big increases in ticket prices, travel will also be affected for the next three weekends as engineering work is carried out on a stretch of track.

Trains between Newcastle and Darlington will be affected as Network Rail carries out work on the track and signals.

Today and tomorrow, and on January 10, 11, 17 and 18, an hourly train service will operate in both directions between London King’s Cross and Newcastle, but it will go via Sunderland.

An hourly train service will also operate in both directions between London King’s Cross and Darlington with replacement coaches operating in both directions between Darlington, Durham and Newcastle.

News of the works comes just two days after National Express raised its prices on the East Coast Main Line by 7.4% for its unregulated fares.

Regulated fares went up by 6%. Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail pressure group Passenger Focus, said: “What makes these rises particularly unpalatable is the fact that inflation is currently about 3%.

“Here we have rises that are on average 6 or 7% and in some cases 10%.

“Rail fares have got completely out of kilter with what is happening in the real economy and people are going to have dig very deep to find the extra money.”

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents thousands of rail workers, said customers were being ‘ripped off’.

General secretary Gerry Doherty said: “This latest increase makes a mockery of the Government’s claims to help hard working families through the recession.

“As every other business in the land frantically cuts prices to win customers, we see rail companies cheerfully ripping off passengers by increasing their fares as inflation falls towards zero in 2009.”

And there was anger among passengers at Newcastle Central Station yesterday.

Pauline Totten, 46, originally from North Shields, but who now travels to the region from Bedford regularly to see her father, said: “I had a shock when I came to buy a ticket this morning to find out the price had gone up.

“My 75-year-old dad still lives in the North East and I travel up regularly. This increase will have a real impact, I usually travel up every few weeks but I have decided I won’t be coming up before Easter now. It just means I will see less of my family.”

Craig Stewardson, 22, from Ryton, Gateshead, said: “I think 7% is a lot, I would have thought a 1% or 2% increase would have been more appropriate.”

A National Express East Coast spokesman said: “We continue to invest in our service, including a £45m transformation of all diesel trains in the fleet, with new high performing engines plus an interior rebuild, as well as station improvements which have been recognised with two prestigious National Rail Awards, including Durham station which was named UK rail station of the year.

“Meanwhile we are working hard to attract more passengers to the railway with our advance purchase discount fares, which offer excellent value for money.

“Many of our fares still compare favourably with the cost of motoring or flying, plus the train is more environmentally friendly, offers city centre to centre travel as an alternative to long journeys to out of town airports and baggage restrictions, and avoids traffic congestion.”

Related Articles:

New fares 'ripping off' passengers - Jan 02 2009
Rail passengers hit by fare rises - Jan 02 2009
Rail fare hikes to hit passengers - Jan 01 2009
Train bosses deny ticket pricing 'fix' - May 12 2008
Travellers braced for 7% rise in train fares - Nov 29 2007

Page 2: Travellers count the cost of letting the train take the strain