Tuesday 20 January 2009

Local travellers face massive train fare increases

Lib Dem councillors have slammed massive rail fare increases and tabled a motion for the South Gloucestershire January Council calling for a better deal for local rail passengers.

Councillor Sue Walker has set up a group, The Friends of Yate Station, to act as a strong voice for rail users. She says, "We hope to make a better case to get the rail companies to listen to us. Many of the unregulated off peak and advance saver tickets from Yate have gone up by as much as 11%!"

Better services are also desperately needed at the Station. Councillor Ian Blair explains, "We want Arriva Cross Country, who run services through Yate, to make an extra stop at our station during the rush hour. But the company is telling us it would not be worth their while to do so. We also need to get the Department of Transport to put more carriages on the route. The Government announced before Christmas that they would put in orders for extra carriages but negotiations are still going on about exactly which services will get them and how quickly. We think that the overcrowded services to and from Yate should be a top priority.”

The next meeting of the Friends of Yate Station is being held at 7.30pm on
Monday 9 February 2009 at Poole Court, Yate. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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