Fiona has welcomed the announcement by the Department for Transport and Transport for the North that Northern Rail will introduce a new flexible season ticket this year.
This will enable regular passengers, who do not currently save via existing weekly or monthly season ticket offers, to save money. The ticket is aimed at passengers that travel three days or less per week on average and will offer a discount so that passengers buying multiple days travel pay less than the equivalent number of individual journeys.
The flexible season ticket will be available to passengers by the summer and are part of a region-wide move to smart ticketing. On 2nd January the new railcard also went on sale.
Fiona said:
“Fairer rail prices from this constituency is something I have been campaigning on for some time. While we continue to face disruption in Congleton with Northern Rail, it is welcome news that passengers who travel regularly from Congleton will be able to save money. It is also welcome that following the trial of the 26-30 railcard, this is being expanded and my younger constituents will be able to benefit from this.”
Speaking in a Parliamentary debate on 28th November, Fiona raised rail issues in the Congleton and Alsager areas, highlighting constituents’ concerns:
“Earlier this month, I held a surgery late one evening at Congleton station. I was impressed, though not entirely surprised, that no less than 30 to 40 residents came along on a dark wintry evening. I know from my postbag that there are considerable concerns in my constituency about train services. Many of the points raised by residents at that meeting are echoed by residents in Alsager. They include a lack of joined-up thinking by rail companies on the services and timing of trains; trains are too infrequent and often overcrowded, and they stop too early in the evening; and there is some confusion and a perception of unfairness about charges.”