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Tom re-elected as Lib Dems make gains
Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
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Gatley station in bottom 10% – but fares are still going up
by Lib Dem team on 30 November, 2018
Gatley – along with the other stations on the Manchester Airport line – are in the bottom 10% for reliability nationwide. The news comes as passengers have been told we will face an inflation-busting 3.1% fare increase in January.
“This will come as no surprise for commuters, who have to put up with trains delayed and cancelled at short notice day after day after day,” said Cllr Iain Roberts. “Responsibility for this mess lies mainly with the Government, Northern and Network Rail. We continue to press them to get it sorted. Right now there are more cars on our roads simply because people can no longer trust the trains.”
So true, Iain.
And, by co-incidence, today I’m using the car to make sure I get where i need to be, rather than rely on the train (even though I have an old codgers free pass).
Yesterday I took a taxi to East Didsbury metro rather than endure yet another miserable train journey.
Delayed and cancelled trains, being packed like a sardine (there would be an uproar if we were sheep or cows) all finished off by waiting in the cold and rain on platform 13 in Piccadilly.
And, I am lucky enough to not be working. How those travelling to work manage, I do not know.
I’m doing the same Denise – taxi to East Didsbury and then the tram. Shame the carpark there is always full.
I work with a lot of people who come in on public transport & all you hear in the morning is complaints, stress & anger….really lowers the mood at work. It’s taking some people up to 2 hours to get in!! And the powers that be want to get people out of their cars & on to public transport? Not a chance!
John – you an old codger – surely not.
I recommend you use the National Rail app – live trains.
Very useful at the moment and also with the onset of the winter season.
And John, old is a relative term.
In light of this report and readers comments I wonder if we will hear from “The go by public transport” lobby?
Thanks for the tip, Bruce.
I’m usually a big fan of public transport. As an old codger (yes, indeed), I also have the national railcard which I use for trips to London, etc. Using that and a bit of canny planning, you can get some very good deals – it can even make travelling first class feasible (when you also include the free breakfast, coffee, etc).
And I use the tram a fair bit. Even yesterday. I drove into the city but then used the tram to get to the far side. Only problem is the tram is so popular that you can never find a parking space at east Didsbury during the day. Fine in the evening though.
The government is so wedded to ideology they won’t even freeze the fares but allow the opco’s to ride roughshod over customers. It will need a change of government to achieve anything as it should be apparent to any one now. However no doubt we’ll get the usual responses to this about the “loony left” etc. However it should be plain to everyone now that the Tories are actually economically incompetent.
My wife commutes every weekday by train from Gatley to Manchester and the chaos of the last six months has taken a heavy toll on her health and wellbeing. No doubt many others are similarly affected. There is no sign whatsoever of it getting any better. Northern, Network Rail, the Government, local politicians and the unions should all be held to account as none of them seem to be doing anything.
Fare rises happen annually as we all know but infrastructure is being upgraded and new rolling stock introduced mainly in London and the South while Northern are having to make do with refurbishing stock that is more than 30 years old. The whole situation is intolerable. Something needs to be done about it!
We’re doing what we can to put pressure on the three bodies that can act: the government, Northern Rail and Network Rail. We’ll continue to campaign on this issue – the current situation isn’t acceptable.