PROTESTORS will be outside Warrington Central Station this morning (Tuesday) handing out Christmas cards objecting to increased costs and cuts in services for rail travellers.
It is part of a North West Action for Rail campaign organised by the TUC, and the union says it comes in the week after the Association of Train Operating Companies announced new inflation-busting fare rises for 2013.
Objectors will be outside the local station from 7.30 to 9.30am. The campaign, against the rising cost of rail travel and planned cuts to services and staff, will be carried out at 50 stations across the country.
The special Christmas cards with a message from the train companies will be handed out to commuters. The message will warn travellers to expect next year to bring cancelled trains, staff cuts, and ticket office closures – all at a time when the train companies are making huge profits.
Action for Rail campaigners will encourage commuters to use the Christmas cards to tell their local MPs of their concern over what is happening to the UK’s railways. The cards urge MPs to back a policy of investment, fair fares and a publicly-owned railway that puts people before profits.
To coincide with the mass Christmas card handout, Action for Rail plans to publish research highlighting how fare increases are hitting household incomes.
PROTESTORS will be outside Warrington Central Station this morning
(Tuesday) handing out Christmas cards objecting to increased costs and
cuts in services for rail travellers.
Rail protestors festive message
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
2 Comments
The unions have a cheek. They have systematically held the TOC’s to ransom regulary. See the Olympic bonus, Boxing Day working (wanting triple time overtime and time in lieu!), You cant get a job as a train driver now its so well paid.
As for closures in booking offices, with some staff in local stations having the customer service ability of a plank of wood, they wont generally be missed. I dont see also how fare rises will cause cancelled trains. The costs of rail is slowly transferring from the tax payer to the operators and thus the passengers. If they get cancelled, the TOC will have to pay it back.
Well I’m sure Bob Crowe of the RMT can afford to pay for any increase in his rail fare, assuming he travels by train.