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16
Aug
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP calls for rail fares to be frozen
Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon has called for rail fares to be frozen next year.
Rail fares could be set to rise by 4.6% in April following the latest inflation figures.
The rise in rail fares is usually based on retail price inflation figures from July, plus 1%. The latest inflation figures were released yesterday (14th August).
It means that passengers could see a 4.6% increase in ticket prices next year.
The cost of a season ticket between Harrogate and Leeds could rise from £2,024 to £2,118 — a £94 rise.
It follows ticket price rises of 3.8% in 2022, 5.9% in 2023, and 4.9% in 2024.
Tom Gordon said that people in Harrogate and Knaresborough should not be paying more for a service that is “simply not working.”
Figures revealed by the Liberal Democrats showed that since 2018/19, passengers have suffered close to 1 million minutes of delays due to signal failures.
Train at Harrogate station. Pic: Northern
Mr Gordon said:
A £94 season ticket increase is unacceptable. We need a railway system that works properly and that people do not have to pay obscene amounts for.
Many years of Conservative neglect has forced those who travel by rail to suffer endless delays and unpleasant travelling experiences whilst trying to go about their daily lives, and paying large amounts for the pleasure.
On the Harrogate line, delays are often an issue, particularly on the Northern service that runs between Leeds and York, two places I know many of my constituents commute to. To ask passengers to pay yet more money is a slap in the face.
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