Passengers 'pay more for less' as 19,000 train services are axed during pandemic

It comes after Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail operators, published figures which show the number of weekly services running across the country has fallen by 19,000 (around 13 per cent) over the last two years.

Rail fares also rose by 3.8 per cent last month, meaning the average season ticket for commuters now cost £3,263 – £1,069 (49 per cent) more than in 2010.

Operators claim they are running reduced timetables as demand for passenger services has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, particularly during weekdays, but Ms Haigh said they are being forced to axe services because the Government is winding down the amount of financial support it provides.

“The Government has stepped in and supported rail operators through the pandemic but they can’t now claw all of that back from operators,” she said.

“They need to understand that we need to keep investing in public transport in order to encourage people onto it.”

The Department of Transport has disputed claims, published by The Times, which stated rail operators have been told to cut costs by 10 per cent during this financial year as emergency support provided to keep trains running during the pandemic is being wound down.

However, Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Autumn statement said the Government handed £10.2bn of support to private operators last year but subsidies will be reduced as “rail revenues are forecast to recover”.

The Department for Transport said "it is important to ensure service levels reflect demand" and demand is down 25 per cent, compared to 2019.

During a visit to Wakefield Westgate train station today, Ms Haigh also said passengers in the North are “returning far quicker than anywhere else in the country” and operators need to respond to that rising demand.

“They need to recognise that economic growth and passenger numbers will be driven by keeping these services and making sure they are reliable,” she said.

The Labour MP claimed the funding cuts have led to services “being quietly slashed week on week” by operators such as Northern, which recently announced it will axe a number of services from May 15, as it is prioritising routes with the highest demand.

“It will seriously harm people’s ability to get to work; see loved ones; access services and also seriously harm our ability to reach net zero,” she added.

“Here we are with 19,000 services lost, no service between Wakefield and Huddersfield, and reduced services Bradford, Ilkley, Shipley and Skipton.”

Passengers travelling from Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, York and Halifax will also be affected by Northern’s timetable changes in May.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said passengers are seeing a “managed decline” of the railways and the Government needs to step in and “reverse this” by urging operators to maintain services and provide the necessary support.

“We know the demand is there and I want Government to show confidence in our region,” she said.

“We know there is a great opportunity to rebuild and get people back on the trains and the buses, particularly because of the cost of petrol.”

Last year, the Government scrapped the old franchise model for private operators and set up a state-owned body, called Great British Railways (GBR), which now sets timetables and prices, and manages rail infrastructure.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Not adjusting rail services during the pandemic would have been irresponsible and unfair on those taxpayers’ forced to foot the bill – many of whom do not use the railways.

“Instead, this Government committed almost £15bn to ensure vital services continued to run and key workers were able to keep using them.

“Whilst passengers are returning, it is important to ensure service levels reflect demand, which is still 25 per cent less than in 2019, and we will keep working with operators to do so.”