'Meaningless soundbite' or a good way to get passengers back on track? Why the Great Rail Sale has sparked debate
19.04.2022 - 21:41
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A rail ticket sale aimed at getting passengers back on the trains and offsetting the cost of living has been branded a ‘meaningless soundbite’ by critics - while others hope it could help the Government see the light about our over-priced network.
The bonanza, launched today for journeys taken between April 25 to May 27, had been sold by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps as a way to ‘help passengers facing rising costs of living’. But it's been panned by critics who say it will benefit ‘about 1 per cent’ of all journeys because it largely discounts intercity travel at quiet times.
The move was part of a bid to boost passenger numbers after they plummeted by nearly 80 per cent during the peak of the pandemic. Amid restrictions, a report from the Office of Rail Regulation showed passengers in the North West made a total of 30.6m journeys in the financial year 2020-21, just 21.1 per cent of those made the previous year. Passengers levels are now understood to have returned to 75pc of pre-Covid levels.
READ MORE: "Ridiculous, disappointing, regrettable": Passengers respond to biggest rail hike in a decade
But critics have questioned whether the promotion, which will do little to help rush hour commuters waiting for trains through the congested Castlefield Corridor, was really the way to achieve that goal in the longer-term.
Although many tickets are now half price, almost all of those on offer are Advance fares, requiring specific times for routes in the future. They are also limited and subject to ‘availability and exclusions’, with peak fares which might benefit the average commuter not included. It’s also been pointed out that the sale runs for the five weeks before the next half-term holiday - and isn’t expected to
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