Railfuture calls for train frequencies to be maintained and fares held

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From Railfuture Media Centre:

The Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021: delivering for UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Rail services – a Railfuture perspective

As we await tomorrow’s Autumn Budget and Spending Review, Railfuture has voiced its fears for the future of the railway.  Chris Page, chair of Railfuture said “The Government mustn’t ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’ – railways are still recovering from the pandemic, but rash cost cuts now will cost the taxpayer money through reduced fare revenue”.  Neil Middleton, a fellow Railfuture director said: “Everyone has a choice on how to travel – reduced train frequencies and expensive fares just encourage us all to use other options – any saving in costs is so easily outweighed by lost revenue.  It would be great if the Government announced they were dropping their current approach to the annual inflationary fare rise – The use of the outdated RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) statistic really isn’t fair – a switch to CPI (without a supplement) – or even better no increase would send a message that the Government is serious about encouraging low carbon travel”.  Chris added “we are all better off if 5 passengers pay £10 each, rather than just 4 paying £10.50 each”.

“So, what are we looking for in the Autumn Statement?  We believe the railway can best meet the country’s needs if there is a focus on two key aspects:"

“Firstly, ensuring that there is a much stronger focus on customer needs."

“And secondly, ensuring that the railway is fully supported by the government so that it can meet its shorter and longer term ambitions, such as the low carbon economy, levelling up etc.”

[ChrisB]

Restoring your Railways Fund awards announced in accompanying papers

North East - 1: Up to £50,000 through the Restoring Your Railway ‘Ideas Fund’ to develop an early-stage proposal to reinstate passenger rail links between Darlington and Weardale.
 
North West - 3: Up to £50,000 each through the Restoring Your Railway ‘Ideas Fund’ to develop three early-stage proposals to reinstate passenger rail links between: Ashton and Stockport; Middlewich and Gadbrook Park; and Buckley Wells and Rawtenstall.
 
Yorkshire & The Humber - 3: Up to £50,000 each through the Restore Your Railway ‘Ideas Fund’ to develop three early-stage proposals to reinstate passenger rail links between Beverley and York, Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria (Don Valley Line) and on the Askern Branch Line.
 
East Midlands - 0
 
West Midlands - 2: Up to £50,000 each through the Restoring Your Railway ‘Ideas Fund’ to develop two early-stage proposals to reinstate passenger rail links between Stoke and Leek and Oswestry and Gobowen.
 
East of England - 0
 
London – N/A
 
South East - 0: but £7 million development funding to restore passenger rail links between Totton and Fawley.
 
South West - 3: Up to £50,000 each through the Restoring Your Railway ‘Ideas Fund’ to develop three early-stage proposals to reinstate passenger rail links between Tavistock and Plymouth, reopen Corsham station and reopen Stonehouse Bristol Road station.
 
Scotland: N/A
 
Wales - 1: Up to £50,000 through the Restoring Your Railway ‘Ideas Fund’ to develop an early-stage proposal to reinstate passenger rail links between Gaerwen and Amlwch in Anglesey.
 
Also, £7 million development funding from 2021-22 to 2024-25 to reopen passenger services between Totton and Fawley in Hampshire, and £5 million development funding over the Spending Review period to reopen rail stations in Wellington, Somerset and Cullompton, Devon – all were Ideas Fund round 1 winners.

[Lee]

I see you've got into the spirit of the Budget, and announced the funding for Totton-Fawley twice.

[Wizard]

Incredible to me that Stonehouse looks likely to get a second station before Gloucester.

[Red Squirrel]

Incredible to me that Stonehouse looks likely to get a second station before Gloucester.

If it makes you feel any better, Tyndrum (pop: 167) has two stations...

Stroudwater does have a pretty good case: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/media/1605138/if3-application-form-stroudwater-br-stonehouse-9-march-2021_redacted.pdf

[broadgage]

I would certainly support a fares freeze.
If the government can afford to keep petrol/diesel down* to the prices* charged ten years ago, then they can freeze rail fares for ten years and start increasing petrol prices* instead.

If they can afford to subsidise regional airports, then they could cease so doing and spend the money on new rail stations instead.

If they can afford to cut air passenger duty then they could reverse that policy and spend the money on holding down rail fares instead.

Spending on railways encourages use of low carbon transport.

Keeping petrol cheap, and reducing air fares has the opposite effect.

*I am well aware that the government do not directly control the price of petrol or diesel fuel. However they do control the rate of duty charged, which is a significant part of the price.