All aboard the railway rip-off!

UNFAIR fare . . . Saddleworth parish councillor Royce Franklin (left) with Elwyn Watkins at Greenfield Station

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.