Railway

Train fares to rise by 1.6% in UK

Published

4 years ago

December 16, 2020

Host and hostesses of the new Lagos-Ibadan train

Train fares are expected to increase by 1.6 per cent in January next year in the United Kingdom as successive governments link annual rises to July’s inflation rate.

BBC quotes Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris as saying the rise reflects “unprecedented taxpayer support” for rail this year.

But unions said the rise was a “kick in the teeth” for passengers.

An average increase of 2.6 per cent across all fares will still be the lowest since 2017, and it will only last nine months, until the end of 2021.

Had the rise come in January it would have equated to a 1.95% jump across the whole year.

Until 28 February season tickets holders can renew at existing prices and the cost of daily fares will stay the same.

‘Keeping services running’

Rail travel has been badly hit during the coronavirus crisis, and Mr Heaton-Harris said delaying the price rise from January “ensures passengers who need to travel have a better deal this year”.

Regulated fares make up about half of fares and include season tickets on most commuter routes. But operators are expected to match their rises for unregulated fares.

It means, for example, a Brighton-to-London annual season ticket going up by about £129 to £5,109, and a Manchester-to-Glasgow off-peak return rising by £2.30 to £90.60.

Government to cut £1bn from rail budget

The rail minister said, “By setting fares sensibly, and with the lowest actual increase for four years, we are ensuring that taxpayers are not overburdened for their unprecedented contribution, ensuring investment is focused on keeping vital services running and protecting frontline jobs.”

The government took over rail franchise agreements from train operators in March, following the collapse in demand for travel caused by the virus crisis. This is expected to have cost about £10bn by mid-2021.

The rise would help recover some of the significantly increased costs met by taxpayers to keep services running during the pandemic, Heaton-Harris said.

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, acknowledged that “passengers will be disappointed” about the fares rise, adding that “governments must ultimately decide the balance between how much fare payers and taxpayers pay to run the railway”.

She added that industry remained committed to working with the government to make the fares and ticketing system easier to use.

The department has written to all operators telling them to begin immediate work on developing flexible season tickets, allowing people who travel two or three days a week to save money compared with buying daily tickets. Firms have been told these must be introduced across England by the end of next year.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of consumer watchdog Transport Focus, said, “This fare increase makes it even more important that, when travel restrictions start to be lifted, the industry is able to attract people back by offering fares that match how we know people hope to live, work and travel in future.”

Union leaders condemned the rise, with Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staff Association calling it a “kick in the teeth for passengers”.

He said, “Ministers are well aware that millions have suffered this year with the uncertainty of employment, a changing picture on furlough provision, pay cuts, wages freezes and lost jobs. So, to reach for a hike in fares of this size is both extortionate and plain daft.”

Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said ticket prices are being “forced up to subsidise private profit. The time is right for a publicly owned railway system that delivers reasonable fares for our people as the public and the economy tries to recover and shake off the COVID crisis next year.”

Railway

FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC

Published

4 days ago

November 29, 2024

Trends Admin

FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC

The 62-kilometre, $3.02 billion Port Harcourt-Aba railway project has been completed by Federal Government and handed over to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

The Port Harcourt-Aba section is part of the larger Port Harcourt-Maiduguri eastern narrow gauge railway project, initiated under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The project supervisor, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Ayo Dada, formally transferred the railway to the NRC during a brief ceremony held on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

He said that the project, completed in May, had significantly improved passenger movement between Rivers and Abia, thereby enhancing their economies.

“The assets handed over include dismantled tracks measuring 283.060 km, rehabilitated and reconstructed 62.800 km of subgrade and the laying of 62.800 km of rail for the main line,” Dada said.

“This includes the laying of rail for sliding lines covering 5.690 km and the reconstruction of 27 sets of turnouts at Port Harcourt, Elelenwo, Obuzor, Umugo and Aba Stations, among others.”

Dada said that with the handover of the Port Harcourt–Aba section, the Federal Government would focus on the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri phase of the project.

FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC

Railway

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six

Published

3 weeks ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an increase in the number of trains on its Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) route in response to rising demand based on its customer feedback.

A statement signed by the NRC Deputy Director of Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, on Wednesday, said the number of trains had been increased to six from four, running Monday to Friday during peak periods.

This development, it added, aimed to enhance customer satisfaction by making commuting more convenient and accessible on the route as well as tackling complaints of ticket racketeering.

The statement quoted the acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, as saying that a five-month trend analysis revealed a 22 per cent increase in new passengers registering on the ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna route.

The surge, he said, showed a growing preference among Nigerians for train travel as a comfortable, reliable, and safe commuting option.

The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to responding to customer demands, improving customer satisfaction, and tackling complaints of ticket racketeering, has increased the number of train services from four to six from Monday to Friday when demand tends to peak on its AKTS route.”

The NRC also noted that similar trends had been observed on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Port Harcourt-Aba routes, with efforts already underway to enhance services along these routes as well.

The acting MD assured Nigerians of the increased presence of NRC senior management across all train service routes to drive continuous efficiency and tackle the issue of ticket racketeering head-on.

“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and avoid patronising ticket racketeers.

“Additional information can be obtained from the NRC website, www.nrc.gov.ng,” it stated.

The expanded services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, it said, followed similar enhancements on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which now includes additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate increasing demand.

Railway

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

Published

3 weeks ago

November 12, 2024

Trends Admin

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the introduction of additional train trips on its Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) route, exclusively for Fridays and Saturdays.

This initiative increases weekend trips from two to three, offering commuters greater travel flexibility.

The announcement, made via the NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, revealed that the new Lagos-to-Ibadan trip will depart at 1:40 pm, complementing the existing schedules of 7:45 am and 4:00 pm.

For the Ibadan-to-Lagos route, the additional trip is set for 10:50 am, joining the regular departures at 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.