Newsdesk
From Connex to 'Connex lite'
5th September 2003Connex proposals to cut 40 off-peak rail services from the end of September will tend to increase passengers on peak-hour trains. These trains are often over-crowded The new 375 trains have even less seats. Steve Dawe comments:
"The proposed move from Connex to ‘Connex-Lite’ ticket prices go up but we get less services and more over-crowding is unwelcome. Season ticket holders in East Kent are often paying over £3000 a year to go to London. They pay for the privilege of standing in dirty trains and are expected to be grateful at the prospect of standing more often in new, clean ones! Off-peak services are often a life-line to villages in Kent, helping to keep traffic levels down, and serving those without cars, or those beyond the age of confidence about using a car. Cutting off-peak services which have less services than major towns and cities already is a particularly offensive attack upon rural communities.
Green Party Annual Conference at Lancaster, 11-14th September, will be discussing a new national railcard to give better discounts to frequent rail users. It would add to an already popular package of Green Party transport policies (1) and could help pressure the old parties and train companies into following suit. Rail tickets in the UK are more expensive than in other comparable European countries. This is bad for public transport, social inclusion and the environment. We need incentives to increase rail use and help tackle the costly chaos on the roads. Studies (2) have indicated that an inexpensive card offering discounted off-peak travel throughout the UK network could play a major role in filling off-peak spare capacity: this provides a way in which Connex could maintain services and get more passengers." ENDS c291 words
FURTHER INFORMATION: Steve Dawe on 07904 382203 or 01233 645167. Contact address: 10 Hillbrow Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4QH Notes: 1. See http://www.greenparty.org.uk/reports/2001/transport/transportrevolution.html
. An ICM poll before the 2001 general election found that 61% wanted to scrap building roads and invest in alternatives instead - Green Party policy - while only 22% wanted to carry on building roads and invest in alternatives at the same time. 2. See
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