Not such a Happy New Year
It wasn't a very Happy New Year for Bedford's rail users this week, with fares over 3% higher as of Wednesday.
There has been much coverage of what this means for commuters across the country, but it is extraordinary that yet another fares hike is being imposed on Bedford's rail users, when they have suffered such misery at the hands of the government and train companies:
- They've had fast intercity peak time services removed by the government.
- They've suffered the total failure of the new Thameslink timetables from last May.
- And they face the almost complete removal of Bedford from the intercity rail network under the next East Midlands franchise.
All that should add up to a freeze on fares at very worst, not another big increase. Even the cross party Transport Select Committee agrees, calling for a fares freeze for commuters who suffered the chaos from last May onwards.
The government's response has simply been to defend fare rises and to try to divide people further by blaming fare rises on rail workers' wages. Meanwhile the misery goes on for Bedford rail users.
If you want to speak out against the fare rises and how utterly indefensible they are, you can sign and share the Freeze Fares petition: