Transport

Another day, yet another headache for beleaguered rail commuters with the news that unions are pressing ahead with above-inflation pay claims.

THE topic that doesn’t take a summer holiday: Brexit. It’s the biggest issue to people in the United Kingdom according to national opinion polls and, with seven months to go until ‘Brexit Day’, the rail industry, with many other sectors, is looking to life after we leave the European Union (EU).

From: Alec Denton, Guiseley.

Protests will be held outside railway stations amid mounting anger over an expected 3.5% increase in regulated train fares.

I HAVEN’T driven my car for several days. This isn’t out of virtue. It’s just that I live in Whitby and last Thursday I found a parking space two streets from my house and didn’t want to risk having to park in Ruswarp over the Regatta Festival last weekend. This is quite normal for people who live on my street. Parking has replaced weather as a topic of conversation.

THE URGENT need to reform the railways will become even more overwhelming today when it is confirmed that fares will rise by approximately 3.5 per cent in the New Year. A price hike which directly correlates with the higher rate of inflation, it will – inevitably – be yet another insult for all those rail users who continue to endure unprecedented delays and disruption across the North.

Police are planning extra patrols across country's rail network after a car knocked down a number of pedestrians in Westminster.

From: Malcolm Margolis, Zero Carbon Harrogate.

EVEN though the transport chaos straddles both sides of the Pennines, there are lessons that Yorkshire should be learning from the North West when it comes to this county’s approach to devolution.

IT is difficult to know what was more insulting – train operator Northern cancelling dozens of services for the third successive Sunday or the glibness of the company’s blasé statement putting the onus on travellers to “plan their journey carefully”.

NOW the rail industry has been ordered to cut out the jargon, here’s some plain-speaking from The Yorkshire Post. When can long-suffering passengers expect their trains to run on time?

THE managing director of troubled train operator TransPennine Express, Leo Goodwin, has now broken his silence on the region’s rail scandal, after some prompting, in last week’s column.

IT’S NOT just rail commuters who have reasons to be aggrieved – the region’s motorists are also paying the penalty as local, regional and national politicians look to penalise them at every turn.

Leeds rail commuters have been delayed, diverted or cancelled for the second morning running after a broken down train blocked all lines at Guiseley station.

Transport union RMT has today confirmed that it will take further strike action against Arriva Rail North over the on-going dispute on the role of train guards.