Rail passengers fury over rises (From Salisbury Journal)

Rail passengers fury over rises

8:36am Friday 5th January 2007

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RAIL companies risk driving commuters off trains with above inflation price increases and recent timetable changes, disgruntled Salisbury passengers claimed this week.

Both First Great Western (FGW) and South West Trains (SWT), who operate various lines running through Salisbury, have began using their new charging structures.

Prices for peak travel have risen by 4.3 per cent with both companies, while prices for off-peak travel have risen by 4.8 per cent and 5.3 per cent with FGW and SWT respectively.

These prices are slightly above the national average and well above the rate of inflation, which is only 3.3 per cent.

Simone Spinks, a press communication manager for SWT, said: "Every year, ticket prices have to go up, the same way as the price of a loaf of bread goes up year-by-year.

"But this price rise is reflected in the improvements we provide so we can continue to provide value for money.

"We have to pay for new trains, we need to improve safety and security, and are improving stations."

However, Anthony Smith, a spokesman for the independent rail consumer watchdog Passenger Focus, was extremely critical of the increases; especially what he perceived to be over-excessive rises in the cost of off-peak travel.

He said: "If passengers want flexibility, or have no choice when to travel, they now face off-putting prices and levels of crowding now mean there is no room for manoeuvre."

These concerns about over-crowding echoed complaints about changes FGW have made to a number of services in their 2007 timetable.

Citing reasons of commercial viability, FGW has cut a number of their services with trains running between Salisbury and Southampton faring particularly badly.

Rail passenger Tehmina Goskar, of Church Road, Laverstock said: "I have always used the half-hourly service that ran between Salisbury and Southampton, to get to and from work.

"However, since the cuts, there is only an hourly service and this is consequently much more crowded than it used to be.

"I heard a spokesman for FGW on Radio 4 arguing that to reduce over-crowding, passengers should look to travel at off-peak times, but they don't realise most of us who use the train for work do not have that option."

"I gave up my car six years ago to commit to public transport and, quite frankly, I feel robbed - they are forcing people back onto the roads."

FGW reject claims they are sacrificing customer satisfaction and comfort for profit, and state they have done all they can to take customers' concerns into account over timetable changes.

A spokesman said: "An extensive consultation exercise was carried out between April and June of last year. This involved consulting with key stakeholders, MPs, and local authorities who were invited to liaise with those they represent and respond to us with the feedback they received."

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