Fares fair ?

I've recently become a blogging widow - so I thought I'd try it for myself. We'll see how it goes - but please don't expect to find any fancy stuff here. 


You will find some politics and a bit of campaigning stuff as I haven't completely lost my desire to change the world, its just become a little bit more random and occasionally eccentric as I enter "Grumpy Old Man" territory.


Anyway, recently I found my way to one of my favourite places - Plymouth - to see my adopted favourite football Club, Plymouth Argyle. It was a vital game for Argyle and the result, a 1-1 draw against Oxford Utd, with other results going the right way, secured Argyle's place in the Football League. 


It was a very enjoyable journey too. Car to Axminster, then train to Exeter, change for Plymouth. The rail journey included a stretch alongside the Exe estuary and then right along the shoreline at Dawlish. I thought it was superb value at £9.50 return. I was happy to "let the train take the strain", as the old marketing line used to say. In fact although I'm an infrequent rail traveller, a rail journey is something I almost always enjoy.

Exe Estuary - courtesy Devon-explorer.co.uk

I'm obviously not alone as according to First Great Western, travel on their lines has increased by over 80% since privatisation. They also claim that growth in timetables means that services on branch lines have increased faster in the south-west than anywhere else in the UK.


However all this good news could come grinding to a halt, or even into reverse fairly shortly. The Government has announced a review of rail fares. Prices for most tickets will already be 24% more expensive by 2015 than they are now.

Axminster station

I believe that its essential that prices are kept down if the growth in rail travel and the many benefits it offers are to be sustained. 


Timely then to include a link here to the Department of Transport's fare review consultation. If you want to know a bit of background its also worth a visit to the website of the Campaign for Better Public Transport, who are running a "fares fair" campaign.


"All aboard" and see you next time !