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All aboard the railway rip-off!
Reporter: KEN BENNETT
Date online: 23 July 2009
Time for action over £4.80 fare for eight-minute hop
A MEASLY eight-minute train journey from Greenfield to Marsden could be one of the biggest rip-offs in Britain, according to local politicians.
An off-peak single fare costs £4.80 between the two stops for the brief hop — one of the most expensive rail fares in the country for a journey of its type.
Now Saddleworth Parish Council is planning a top-level summit between the rail operator and county passenger transport executives in a bid to cut the cost.
Royce Franklin, chairman of the parish council traffic sub-committee, said: “The situation has evolved because transport authorities in West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester subsidise local fares in their respective areas — but not over boundaries.
“Now we want to discuss the situation with Northern Rail, the passenger transport executives of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire and other bodies.”
Elwyn Watkins, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesman for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: “It is cheaper to take the equivalent train down to Marple, which takes an hour-and-a-half at a cost of £3.10 than to travel a few minutes in the other direction. This is ridiculous.
“It shows a lack of joined-up thinking on the part of the Government.
“We should be encouraging people to use trains — this does the reverse.”
Saddleworth Museum curator Peter Fox said fares could affect tourism. He added: “It is a ridiculous anomaly.
“It’s a two-way situation — impacting on our museum and other Saddleworth attractions — and Stanedge Tunnel visitor and information centre in Marsden.”
Grasscroft businessman Donald Buckley, a regular rail user, said: “I know people who drive from Marsden to catch the train at Greenfield and travel on to Manchester.
“In truth, the train from Marsden arrives at Greenfield mostly empty.
“But it’s normally packed after leaving here and picking up passengers in Mossley on the way to Manchester.”
A Northern Rail spokesman said: “We are very aware of the issues raised by commuters travelling from Greenfield and Marsden.
“We set the fares for some journeys on the route but some tickets are set by other train operators.”
When pressed over the cost, the spokesman said Northern Rail have “tens of thousands of fares” across the North and could not pin-point their dearest journey, adding the average fare was £2.02.
He stressed while they could discuss issues with stakeholders, they could not talk to other train operators because it would breach competition law.
Comments
Go west - there are many better and more interesting places. I know there are some Neanderthals in Saddleworth who salivate over belonging to Yorkshire, but who in their right mind wants to travel to Marsden of all places? It's mostly renown for gloom, in-breeding and trying to wall-in a cuckoo.
the idiotic border between lancashire and yorkshire over the pennines has always been a rip off.
back when i used to catch the bus to college you had to pay on the oldham side and then again on the yorkshire side! its always been a rip off! its a shame really because huddersfield is much better than oldham anyway!
It is a rip off I always try to get a lift to Marsden when I go to Huddersfield for a night out it's a lot better than Oldham
I have used this train to got to Marsden to visit my Mum when I was not able to drive last year- its a very nice scenic run but overpriced. I was not able to use the bus at the time so the train was the only option.So some people actually do want to go to Marsden- its got a better range of shops too- like Uppermill used to have before it went tourist focussed.
haha it makes me laugh that people set a username as FEDUPOLDHAMER, come on the local newspaper website, slate the town, yet wont move?!?!? If its so bad here then move over the border - this town is better off without the likes of you anyway.
rjsoafc i already do go elsewhere! i only live here because i was brought up here and work here. but having worked in other areas of the northwest i have seen many boroughs invest in their futures. which create decent towns and citys. unlike ombc who love to talk and show off their plans but never see them through!
without the likes of me to highlight their failings you'll only continue to have the same old dump of a town which you've got now!
Have Your Say
So what is the problem here? How many people want to do this particular trip, bearing in mind there is a bus service as well? The train sets off from Huddersfield not Marsden & I never saw an empty train arriving from Huddersfield in over 30 years of living near Greenfield station.
By AnimoAtqueFide @ 23/07/2009 12:38:17