Rail passengers ‘paying more for less’ after Covid

SHADOW TRANSPORT Secretary Louise Haigh said train passengers were being forced to “pay more for less” as thousands of services had been slashed during the pandemic while rail fares continued to rise.

It comes after Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, published figures which show the number of services running across the country has fallen by 19,000 – around 13 per cent – over the last two years.

Rail fares also rose by 3.8 per cent last month, meaning the average season ticket for commuters now costs £3,263 – £1,069 (49 per cent) more than in 2010.

Operators claim they are running reduced timetables

as demand for passenger services has not returned to prepandemic levels, particularly during weekdays, but Ms Haigh said they were being forced to axe services because the Government was winding down the amount of financial support it provided.

“The Government has stepped in and supported rail operators through the pandemic but they can’t now claw all that back from operators,” she said.

“They need to understand that we need to keep investing in public transport in order to encourage people on to it.”

The Department of Transport has disputed claims, published by The Times, which stated rail operators have been told to cut costs by 10 per cent during this financial

year as emergency support provided to keep trains running during the pandemic was being wound down.

However, Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s autumn statement said the Government handed £10.2bn of

support to private operators last year but subsidies would be reduced as “rail revenues are forecast to recover”.

Last year, the Government also scrapped the old franchise model and set up a state-owned body, called Great British Railways, which now sets timetables and prices.

During a visit to Wakefield Westgate station yesterday, Ms Haigh also said passengers in the North were “returning far quicker than anywhere else in the country” and operators needed to respond to that rising demand.

“They need to recognise that economic growth and passenger numbers will be driven by keeping these services and making sure they are reliable,” she said.

The Labour MP claimed the funding cuts had led to services “being quietly slashed” by operators such as Northern, which recently announced it would axe a number of services from May 15, as it is prioritising routes with the highest demand.

“It will seriously harm people’s ability to get to work, see loved ones, access services and also seriously harm our ability to reach net zero,” she added.

“Here we are with 19,000 services lost, no service between Wakefield and Huddersfield and reduced services in Bradford, Ilkley, Shipley and Skipton.”

Passengers travelling from Leeds, Sheffield and York will also be affected by Northern’s timetable changes in May.

The Department for Transport has been approached for comment.

It will seriously harm people’s ability to get to work. Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.