Low uptake by regular passengers means compensation fund still has millions of pounds left to be spent
Rail bosses aim to woo areas hit by weeks of woe on North’s trains
NEARLY FOUR million pounds was left unspent from a government fund to compensate northern rail passengers for last year’s timetable chaos because uptake of the scheme by regular passengers was “far lower than anticipated”.
A leaked document seen by The Yorkshire Post reveals the discussions by northern transport leaders over how best to make amends to rail passengers and get them back on trains after the disastrous events of summer 2018.
The failure to complete a vital piece of infrastructure work in the North-West on time meant the May timetable in the North was re-drawn at short notice, resulting in delays and cancellations across the board due to a lack of properly trained drivers.
As passengers struggled to get to work on time or home to their families amid mounting anger at the rail industry, a compensation scheme for season ticket holders and passengers travelling three or more days per week was unveiled by the Government.
The document seen by The Yorkshire Post says £6m was allocated by the Department for Transport for compensation, but while large numbers of season ticket holders took up the offer, for other passengers the uptake was “far lower than anticipated”, meaning £3.8m of the funding remains to be spent.
As well as a desire to compensate customers, the document produced by Rail North, which manages operators Northern and TransPennine Express, says the scheme aims to use the money stimulate travel to leisure and tourists markets that suffered last year.
Officials also want to promote railways after the damage done to the reputation of rail travel. For Northern, £1m in leisure tickets are to be given away through an online offer, with around 50 per cent in the areas with the worst disruption and the remainder spread around the region.
Meanwhile for fellow Yorkshire
operator TransPennine Express, £1m in e-vouchers will be given away, entitling the recipient to £25 off leisure or season tickets, in an offer focused on the Easter and spring period.
The firm is using its customer database to identify passengers who travelled during periods of disruption, so that they are first in line to get the vouchers. A key part of the scheme, according to the leaked document, is a series of targeted measures focused on those areas hit hardest by the disruption.
Precise details are still being worked out but could include offers for short-distance weekend leisure trips or for specific markets including half-price weekend tickets on the Lakes Line.
And a separate element will see £500,000 used to encourage season ticket holders to migrate to smartcards, an aim in-keeping with Transport for the North’s ambition to create an integrated transport system across the region.
This is expected to result in a value of between £25 and £50 per season ticket holder.
Last summer, a report by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership set out how more than a million hours have been lost by railway users in the North as a result of the timetable chaos.
Its director Henri Murison welcomed the compensation schemes but questioned whether an opportunity had been missed to extend proposed rail discounts for 16 to 18-year-olds to be available for the North’s apprentices at peak times.
He said: “Many of those starting in the world of work as apprentices are having to pay the same to travel at peak times as those who in senior leaderships roles, and many of those same leaders I know would rather this financial help did long-term good for the Northern Powerhouse after the damage of the summer of rail chaos.”
The new scheme received a mixed reaction from Yorkshire MPs whose constituencies have been blighted by the poor performance of local rail services.
Conservative Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake said: “It’s clearly good news that compensation is being offered to those who have suffered... however, compensation should have been extended directly to TransPennine customers who lost out through delays on cancellations east of the Pennines, rather than being focused on the North-West.”
It’s clearly good news that compensation is being offered. Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake.