The Liberal Democrats have signed up to the Campaign for Better Transport’s calls for a reduction in rail fares. That should be good news for commuters, who can currently expect their season tickets to increase in price almost every year.
Regulated fares in the UK, which includes season tickets, can currently increase in price by 1% above the rate of inflation year on year, and unregulated fares, which includes most other tickets, can increase by as much as each train operator can justify.
The Campaign for Better Transport has been pushing to change this, not only so that commuters get a better deal but also so that more people use the train, which is of course better for the environment.
With all of the main political parties keen to trumpet their environmental credentials in the run-up to the general election it is therefore surprising that only the Lib Dems have signed up to the cause. Their policy document on transport – a refreshing one-page of clear commitments – states:
We will make sure that regulated fares go up by less than inflation which means prices will come down and we will make Network Rail refund a third of your ticket price if you have to take a rail replacement bus service.
You can’t get much clearer than that.
The rest of the party’s policy briefing notes on transport can be found in this PDF document.
Bad news if your daily commute is affected by next week’s rail strikes. According to the Daily Telegraph you might not be eligible for compensation.
Why? Well it seems to come down to the fact that as a commuter you can use a whole host of different trains, so if your regular service is cancelled you can jump on the next one. Not so with anyone who has bought a one-off ticket for a particular service. Their chances of a refund are much better.
As the Telegraph reports:
National Express East Anglia, whose services into Liverpool Street are expected to be hit particularly badly, said the company would provide the ‘the best possible alternative timetable’ should a strike take place.
‘Where alternative services are not available, customers including season-ticket holders, will be eligible to apply for a refund for the days affected.’
The spokesman declined to say what was meant by the ‘best possible timetable’ or what would happen to commuters for whom this timetable was unsuitable.
Read the full story here.
UPDATE: Love Money suggests that if you’re having trouble getting a refund and you paid by credit card, you should approach your card provider. It says:
If you have problems getting a refund from your train operator, and have paid for a ticket costing £100+ by credit card , then Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act may apply. This legal right doesn’t apply to debit cards, although some Visa debit cards do offer similar ‘charge back’ cover.
Read Love Money’s full article on your rights with respect to the rail and British Airways strikes here.
