Transport -
Virgin Trains 2
Virgin
Trains was accused of abusing its monopoly on
routes from north west England to London. The
North West Rail Passengers Committee demanded
Government intervention to prevent further fare
rises. Chairman Brendan O'Friel said the company
had raised walk-on fares, paid by those
travelling at short notice, by 70% in just four
years. "That is 60% more than inflation. We
think this is completely unjustified and many
passengers are seriously disadvantaged by this
piece of exploitation, Price rises would be
acceptable if new trains were up and
running." he said. "But actually last
year we had a dreadful time from trains - one of
the worse since the war - and on top of that
Virgin put up the fares last May by 10%."
Mr O'Friel called on the rail regulator to
investigate Virgin's pricing, accusing the
company of exploiting its monopoly, "We are
not completely clear what the regulator can and
will do. What we know is that monopoly
exploitation is against the law in this
country," he said. "Virgin have
exploited their monopoly and we believe therefore
that something should be done - either by
freezing or instructing that their fares should
be reduced."
Virgin,
which runs trains from Derby to Scotland and the
south west, cancelled 280 per cent more trains
last year than the year before. The company axed
890 services in the first nine months of 2001.
That compared to 234 cancellations during the
corresponding period in 2000, making Virgin Cross
Country the second worst in the country, said Lib
Dem transport spokesman Don Foster. Midland
Mainline cancelled 456 trains in the same period
last year, compared to 307 the year before –
a 49 per cent increase.
The figures follow statistics released by the Lib
Dems showing that Virgin Cross Country was the
least punctual operator in the UK during the
period and MML was third worst. Mr Foster, who
compiled the figures from Parliamentary answers,
said, “There’s only one thing worse
than a delayed train – it’s a train
that doesn’t turn up at all.” MML said
that it had just achieved its best punctuality
figures since the Hatfield crash in 2000. Virgin
Cross Country blamed its old rolling stock and
said that its new Voyager trains should cut
cancellations and delays.
The
Rail Passengers Council called for a public
inquiry into a £100 million taxpayers'
compensation pay-out to Virgin Trains. The
payment, brokered by the Strategic Rail
Authority, was designed to stave off court action
threatened by Virgin. It followed delays to
Railtrack's £7 billion upgrade of the London to
Scotland West Coast Main Line. RPC chairman
Stewart Francis said, "The whole West Coast
upgrade situation is deeply worrying, and this
announcement will have shaken passengers and has
raised more questions than answers. I am writing
to the Transport Secretary demanding that a
public inquiry is held into the whole
issue."
Mr Francis said if the Government did not accede
to the request for a public inquiry, the RPC -
under the Transport Act 2000 - could hold its own
inquiry and call relevant witnesses, although
they would not be bound to attend. The RPC also
accused Virgin Trains of "hiking prices and
fiddling with ticket restrictions". Mr
Francis said he was deeply unhappy with the
recent fares consultation document from the SRA.
And he said one particular Virgin fare - from
Manchester to London - had increased by 75% since
April 1998.
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