Posted 14th August 2014 | 13 Comments
Northern off-peak tickets decision arouses anger
A BAN on off-peak tickets during evening peaks to be imposed by Northern Rail has been caused by the Department for Transport's insistence that the franchise earns more revenue, it has emerged.
The decision, which takes effect on 8 September, has been bitterly criticised by transport campaigners and also the RMT union, which has described the move as a 'taste of what's to come'.
Northern's franchise has been extended and now runs until the spring of 2016, while a consultation on the shape of the following contracts runs until the 18th of this month.
Northern's commercial director Richard Allan said most passengers in the evening peaks will be unaffected, because they have season tickets which are valid at all times. Bans on off-peak tickets in evening peaks are commonplace on London commuter lines, but such restrictions are less general in other parts of the country,
Richard Allan continued: "We have consulted extensively with local stakeholders and with Passenger Focus on the detail of this change, which is part of our new franchise agreement that was announced in March.”
The RMT has revealed an internal document intended for Northern staff, which says: “The changes are being made after the Department of Transport asked Northern to look at several options to generate additional revenue as part of its new franchise agreement.”
The RMT's acting general secretary Mick Cash added: "“The axing of off-peak fares is a savage kick in the teeth for people already struggling with the burden of low pay and austerity and the fact that it has been cooked up by the DfT in collusion with the privatisation pirates from Northern Rail is a warning of what’s to come."
The Campaign for Better Transport has also opposed the change as 'counterproductive and unfair'. The CBT's campaigns dirrector James MacColl said that given the poor state of some Northern rolling stock, the focus should be on investment, not 'hitting exist train users with fare hikes'.
The DfT said the change was part of creating a rail system which provided the best possible value for money for the taxpayer. A spokesman explained that the new ban could "also help reduce crowding on evening services, as well as contributing towards future service improvements for the benefit of all passengers. Such restrictions are relatively common on other parts of the network, including in the Merseytravel area, and we expect only a minority of passengers to be affected.”
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
DAVID COOK, SALFORD, LANCS
As an ex-BR employee, may I point out that all BR employees buying tickets were charged half STD single fare for return journeys, so were never sold off-peak tickets.
David Cook, Broadstone, Dorset
One other possible way round this is for people with full price tickets to be guaranteed a seat, leaving those with cheap tickets standing. However, this would not work on many London commuter trains where they are full to bursting with people who pay full price anyway. If anyone else can come up with a better way of filling empty trains through the middle of the day without crowding out commuters I'd love to hear it!
john graham, tyne & wear
I have just been checking on this from my local i can get a bus anytime fair £3.70 return to Newcastle to Eldon square on a modern bus with WiFi air conditioning cctv every ten minutes on northern i get one train per hour on a pacer with nothing return £4.90 then a walk of 15 minutes to shopping center which would you use
Chris Neville-Smith, Durham, England
Steve Alston, can't blame this one on Northern. This was a condition set by the government for the Franchise extension.
Having said that, I've never been happy with peak pricing for the sake of peak pricing. I don't mind peak pricing when it's necessary to manage demand in the peaks, and the current system where season ticket holders travel more cheaply in peaks than the occasional travellers is fair. What I don't like is ramping up the Anytime fare when there's clearly no demand problem that needs solving.
I realise that Northern is a difficult case, because some bits of the network are very expensive to run. I also realise the public resistance against above-inflation fare increases means the problem isn't going to go away any time soon. But stealth risis such as introducing unnecessary peak prices is not the answer.
john graham, Tyne & Wear
If northern ran more modern stock and more services at local stations revenue would go up . I stopped using them for this reason and i know many others that have done the same
Lewis Downie, Erskine
If you have an off peak ticket - you can't travel during peak times. The clue is in the name!
Steve Alston, Crewe
Utter shameless greed from a failed operator. They tried so hard to keep quiet on this one, until many of us went to the papers and TV last week.
The rise not only affects busy trains out of Manchester during the peak, but totally empty trains running mid to late evening where fares are now doubled.
Human Resources director Adrian Thompson and Managing Director Alex Hynes have repeated felt themselves above answering simple, basic questions about downright illegal policies the company has introduced. Much of the great talent they inherited from Arriva Trains Northern - for example their training department and their prosecutions department has simply got up and walked out.
I am almost certain the fiasco with the pensioners in South Yorkshire is not the fault of an evil, tight fisted PTE or greedy pensioners but down solely to greedy Northern Rail demanding a greatly increased subsidy for the pensioners they had been carrying.
High time to end this franchise and either give it to a responsible owner or nationalise it.
Jon, Hertfordshire
Not affected by this, but have wondered about peak period anomalies and not surprised that changes such as this will increasingly creep in.
Allowing suitcases, prams, folded bicycles (I have done all 3 of them) and wheel chairs (I have avoided so far) but not allow bicycles (been inconvenienced by) is another where I would expect to see increasing bans on all of the first 4 which are too frequently encountered.
You make no mention of extra cost and inconvenience for days out and holidaymakers. I've found it it can easily be a day out by train show stopper.
David Copping, POLEGATE
No restrictions on free or priv travel for safeguarded staff, retired or active. Has someone slipped up?
Lutz, London
What the heck are they complaining about; always expecting someone else to pay their way in life.
Jim Campbell, Birmingham
I believe this already applies on London Midland affecting those in the midlands who rely on them for our local services
(Not just London Midland in Birmingham. Evening peak restrictions are imposed by several operators in the south east, such as FCC, and have been for some years.--Editor.)
Tony Pearce, Reading
Government Debt is £1,300,000,000,000 and rising. Old People's Clubs, Hospital Operations, Teachers Salaries, Libraries, Care at Home even Public Toilets have all had to be cut back. So I can't see where any money is going to come from for us to enjoy the un-realistic way we lived 10 years ago. The Railways are not immune from having to reduce their subsidy from the Taxpayer. And thats not going to change whatever Flavour the Government we elect next year.
Philip Russell, Carlisle
I seem to recall at the end of BR times there were virtually non (if any at all) evening peak restrictions ,now we have lots ,so no progress there except for the accountants ,I agree largely with RMT s views on this but the unions should remember they are also a small part of this problem by campaigning for and in many cases winning very generous pay increases in the privatised era