Rail price hike anger

From the beginning of this month, train fares rose by a national average of 5.9 per cent - with similar increases seen in Gainsborough.

Northern Rail, who run trains from Gainsborough Lea Road Station to Sheffield and Worksop, have increased their prices by an average of 6.7 per cent, while East Midlands Trains, who run a service to Lincoln, have put their fares up by an average of 5.7 per cent to £5.60.

A train from Gainsborough to Worksop previously cost £7.10 for a single and now costs £8.10 (that’s up 6.6 per cent). A return journey has risen from £7.90 to £8.40 (an increase of 6.3 per cent).

Similarly, a train from Gainsborough to Sheffield was previously £10.80 for a single fare was £10.80 but is now £11.40 (a rise of 5.6 per cent) with a return going from £12.80 to £13.60 (up 6.3 per cent).

“I’m not happy about it - it may not sound much, but for someone who uses trains regularly, it will have a massive impact on me over time.” said Gainsborough resident Kate Bundy, who spends around £40 on train travel every fortnight.

“It’s a bit much when you show up and you have to sit in the aisle - if they are going to increase the price then they should improve the service.They should think about giving us value for money at the moment before putting prices up.”

Another Gainsborough commuter added: “I think that prices are too much already, when you consider what you pay for.”

“I use trains a lot and you don’t get your money’s-worth as it is.”

A Northern Rail spokesman said: “Our fare increase This is the equivalent of around 20-30p per single journey and will help meet the costs of providing our services and go towards funding further improvements for our customers.”

“‘Money raised through fares helps to pay for more trains and improvements to stations. This includes projects such as the introduction of 60 additional carriages to help alleviate overcrowding on peak services from the December timetable change.”

“However, we know that these are difficult financial times, which is why we will continue to work with the Government and the wider rail industry to drive down the cost of running the railway to provide better long-term value for money for passengers and taxpayers.”

East Midlands Trains MD David Horne said: “Money raised through fares helps to pay for better train services and improved facilities at stations.”

“At East Midlands Trains, we are investing over £40 million to deliver improvements to every aspect of our journeys, including refurbished trains and better station facilities.”