8 March 2012
Not acceptable to further punish rail passengers with higher fares
Transform Scotland comment on McNulty announcement
Transform Scotland [1], the sustainable transport alliance, has today (Thursday 8) insisted that the McNulty review must not result in passengers being punished with higher fares. This comes after the Campaign for Better Transport highlighted that only 14% of people think charging more for busier trains is fair. [2]
Transform Scotland rail campaigner Paul Tetlaw said:
"Rail fares in the UK have for many years run ahead of inflation and it is simply not acceptable to further punish rail passengers. Whilst managing demand is a sensible economic tool it cannot be applied in isolation to the railway. Governments north and south of the border need to apply similar logic to the road network where most cars carry just one occupant at peak times.
"What is clear is that fragmentation has driven up costs on the railway, there are simply too many players involved. The Scottish Government could start by buying its own trains in future and by-passing the ROSCOs." [3]
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[1] Transform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, bringing together rail, bus and shipping operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, businesses and local transport groups - see <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/members.aspx> for details.
[2] See CBT news release at <http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/media/08-mar-fares-review>.
[3] Transform Scotland called, as part of its response to the Scottish Government's 'Rail 2014' consultation, for any new trains to be procured by the Scottish Government to be owned by the state rather than be leased from Rolling Stock Operating Companies (ROSCOs) under the failed model pursued in the 1990s. See <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/new-trains-for-scotrail-franchise-should-be-scottish-owned.aspx> for details.
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