To start off the new year 2017 train fares have gone up another 2.3% since last year. The total increase in rail ticket prices since 2010 is 27% – far in excess of the inflation rate & wage increases.
In West Norwood the train situation is made worse by very poor services from Southern rail causing ever more misery & stress to commuters reliant on trains to get to & from work. For example during an hour this last Tuesday morning’s rush hour commuters said one train was cancelled and another doubly overcrowded as it had only 5 carriages instead of the normal 10 carriages.
The Southern rail situation is exacerbated by the government’s Transport Secretary cancelling plans, at the last minute, to transfer responsibility for running London suburban train services to Transport for London (TfL) and the Labour London Mayor.
Our MP, Helen Hayes, is a founding member of the newly formed All Party Parliamentary Group on Southern rail and campaigning for the government to remove the failing Southern rail service from Govia’s contract. You can help the campaign by recording your recent experiences of using Southern Rail in this short survey .