‘Public transport is a disgrace’
DISGUSTED RAIL PASSENGER TAKES PHOTOGRAPHS OF FILTHY CONDITIONS
LAYERS of grime, discarded cigarette packets, plastic bottles and a broken door.
These grim snaps of a Northern Rail carriage have left one passenger asking what his hard-earned ticket money is paying for as commuters are punished by rising fares.
David Keegan, 55, took the pictures after boarding the 12.50pm train from Manchester Oxford Road to Manchester Airport on December 23.
Based in the city centre but a frequent flyer with his job, David regularly takes the journey and says the trains are often a mess - but never before had he seen them quite so bad.
Northern bosses said that December 23 was one of the busiest days of the year on their network, adding that while staff clean the trains each morning, it’s also the responsibility of passengers to put their own waste in the bins.
But David said: “After paying more than £5 for a single ticket, this is unacceptable.
“It’s disgraceful that something like that picks up passengers coming from overseas and the first thing they see is this representation of the city and gives an idea what Manchester will be like.
“I would not allow an animal to travel on a vehicle in this condition, never mind a human being.”
“Northern Rail is letting down Manchester and the country and it’s not fair the prices have gone up – quite frankly for the standard of that train I’ve have been annoyed if I’d paid £1.50.”
A landscape architect, Mr Keegan’s job has taken him around the world, experiencing what he says are superior rail networks.
He cites France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Vienna and Denmark among others as having a better system with ‘pristine’ trains.
He added: “I travel extensively and this is not the first time I’ve experienced these types of conditions on Northern trains, but I have to say this one was particularly filthy. Our rail service has suffered from years of under-investment. There just doesn’t seem to be a coherent public transport policy in this country.”
He added: “I am now using my car in this country because public transport in this country is an absolute disgrace. I used to love using trains and getting on them but not any more.
“I had a conference down south last month - it was cheaper for me to drive my car than use public transport. That’s just not how it should be.”
A Northern spokesman said trains were inspected and cleaned before going into service each day and staff tried to ensure litter was removed at the end of each journey.
He added: “Saturday, December 23 was one of the busiest days of the year on our network, particularly in and around Manchester with thousands of people using our trains to get to and from the city.
“It is sadly inevitable that, with so many people using our services, some customers left rubbish behind which we are unable to clear away.
“Whilst we do what we can to keep our trains litter free, we also call on our customers to use the bins provided either on the trains or at stations.”