| Friday, 15 December 2006 | |
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Stoate slams Dartford rail fare increase Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, has condemned proposals by Southeastern Railway to increase fares from Dartford by over 10% in January.“There is no justification whatsoever for an increase of this level: It is way in excess of the average increase across the region set out in the new franchise agreement and local rail users have every right to be angry about it.” “If the speed of journeys into London, or the efficiency or reliability of services had improved markedly in recent years then it might just about be acceptable. We’ve seen nothing like the kind of improvement necessary to justify this increase however. The conditions at stations such as Dartford and Greenhithe at still woefully inadequate and are not a patch on what one would expect to find in modern twenty-first century stations. Moreover journeys into London are still far slower than they ought to, be the trains are still crowded and service delays and cancellations are still far too frequent – as most regular passengers will attest.” The MP has now written to Southeastern Railway to complain about the proposals to urge them to think again. He has also taken the matter up with the Department for Transport. Notes Southeastern railway was committed under the terms of its franchise agreement to raise the price of its regulated fares (which includes season tickets, peak singles and returns) in January 2007 by 3% above inflation – which equates to an average increase of 6.3%. The cost of an annual season ticket from Dartford into London is to rise from £1,412 to £1,556; an increase of £144 or 10.2%. This is one of the largest increases in the South east region. Weekly tickets from Chatham, Tonbridge and Maidstone into London are to rise by just 4%. |
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© 2008 Dr Howard Stoate - Member of Parliament for Dartford
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