SCOTTISH PUBLIC OWNERSHIP DELAY WILL COST

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2019 :: RMTnews 9 A s Scotrail passengers face another New Year’s fare hike, new RMT research found that the decision by the Scottish government to delay returning the Scotrail Franchise to public ownership by three years will cost £37million, the equivalent of an 11 per cent fare cut. In November, the Scottish government opposed a parliamentary motion that would have allowed the troubled ScotRail franchise to be placed in public ownership by 2022. Ministers instead argued that the franchise should stay in private ownership for an additional three years until 2025. That means three more years than necessary in which profits will leak out of Scotrail instead of being invested in public ownership to reduce fares. The news came as RMT renewed its call for public ownership and held a protest at Edinburgh Waverly Station. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that it was appalling that despite enduring a terrible service in 2018 passengers are beginning 2019 with yet another fare hike. “What’s worse is that the decision of the Scottish government to delay any prospect of bringing Scotrail into public ownership until 2025 means passenger will continue to be fleeced to the tune of tens of millions of pounds that will swell Scotrail’s profits. “That’s money that could instead be used to fund a much needed fare cut. “We are renewing our call for public ownership of the railways and would urge the Scottish government to think again and allow our railways in Scotland to be nationalised as soon as possible,” he said. “It is beyond comprehension that after a year of rail meltdown and passenger misery Chris Grayling has once again not lifted a finger to take action to curb fare rises and provide some relief to passengers. When a general election eventually does happen ministers will pay the price for this neglect at the ballot box. “The government may not care about passengers, but rail workers do, and we will be out around the country today stepping up the campaign for public ownership. "Our passengers have been left paying the highest fares in Europe to travel on rammed out and unreliable services and that is a national disgrace. “The only solution is to sweep this whole racket away and return our railways to public ownership,” he said. All fares standard class and by any permitted route Annual season tickets journeys Current Train operator 2019 price £ price £ Swindon - Paddington Increase Increase £ % 8,740 9,016 3.2 276 Great Western Railway Peterborough - Kings Cross 3.2 8,000 248 London North Eastern Railway 7,752 Bournemouth - Waterloo 6,732 6,944 3.1 South Western Railway 212 Northampton - Euston 5,604 5,780 3.1 176 West Midlands Trains Thameslink 4,368 Luton – Sutton (via City Thameslink) 4,504 3.1 136 Brighton - Victoria Southern Rail 4,332 3.1 4,468 136 Halifax - Manchester TransPennine 2,672 84 2,756 3.1 Thameslink 3,820 3,940 3.1 Harpenden - St Pancras International 120 High Wycombe - Marylebone Chiltern Railways 3,556 3,668 3.1 112 c2c 88 2,852 2,940 3.1 Basildon - Fenchurch Street Northern Manchester - Preston 2,836 88 3.1 2,924 Burton-on-Trent - Derby Cross Country 1,428 44 3.1 1,472 5,412 5,584 3.2 172 Canterbury – London Bridge (Not high speed) Southeastern Huddersfield - Leeds Northern 1,368 40 1,408 2.9 Greater Anglia 5,104 Colchester – London Liverpool Street 5,264 3.1 160 HOW MUCH ARE ANNUAL SEASON TICKETS GOING UP IN JANUARY? SCOTTISH PUBLIC OWNERSHIP DELAY WILL COST PASSENGERS Edinburgh Watford