The YCL fully supports this day of action called for by Bring Back British Rail, We Own It, Action For Rail and All on Board. The re-nationalistion of Britain’s railways has widespread majority support across Britain, it would allow us to rebuild an efficient public transport system, ran for people not for profit, and an important first step in bringing Britain’s other industries and utilities back into public ownership.
Via Action For Rail – On the 19th of August the inflation figure used to calculate increases in regulated fares, like Off-Peak and Anytime Day tickets, will be announced. The new fare prices will come into force in January 2015 and, even if capped at the new level of inflation, they’ll still be well above wage rises. Since 2008, fares have risen four times faster than average wages.
Regulated fares would have risen even more this year, if the government hadn’t capitulated to public pressure to cap last year’s rise to inflation only, after several years of inflation-busting rises. On the 19th August campaigners will be protesting the fare rise at stations across the UK and calling for a publicly owned railway – to deliver a better deal for passengers and taxpayers.
In Europe, publicly owned railways have lower fares, are more efficient, and profits are reinvested back into the service. Publicly owned East Coast Main Line is a success story, and in 2013/14 returned £216m to the UK Treasury; since 2009, East Coast has returned over £1bn to the UK Treasury.
For privatised rail services, it’s a different picture. We have the highest fares in Europe with profits extracted to pay shareholder dividends. In 2012/13 Northern Rail, Transpennine Express and Virgin alone paid almost £100m in dividends to shareholders after receiving over £1bn in public subsidy. Evidence shows that about £1.2bn per year is wasted due to privatisation, and if saved, this could fund an 18% cut in fares.
Join demonstrations at stations around the country on 19 August to call for fair fares and public ownership of our railways.
The following stations have actions planned for August 19:
- Bedford station, Bedfordshire: 5pm – 8pm
- Burton-on-Trent station, Staffordshire: 4pm – 5.30pm
- Bristol Temple Meads station: 7.30am – 9.30am and 4.30pm – 6.30pm
- Carlisle station, Cumbria: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Chelmsford station, Essex: 7.30am – 9am
- Cross Gates station, Leeds: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Crayford station, south London: 5pm – TBC
- Derby station: 7.30am – 9am
- Dewsbury station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Doncaster station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Edinburgh Park station: 8am – 9am
- Exeter Central station: 7am – 9.30am
- Exeter St Davids station: 7am – 9.30am
- Farnborough station, Hampshire: 7am – 9am
- Fratton station, Portsmouth: 7.30am – 9am
- Garforth station, Leeds: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Guildford station, Surrey: 7.30am – 9am
- Hebden Bridge station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Hemel Hempstead station, Hertfordshire: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Hexham station, Northumberland: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Harlow station, Essex: 6am – 9am
- Keighley station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Ilford station, East London: 8am – 9am
- King’s Lynn station, Norfolk: 7.30am – 10am
- Leeds station: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Liverpool Lime Street station: 7.30am – 9.30am
- London Bridge station: 7.30am – 9am
- London King’s Cross station: 7.30am – 9.00am
- Manningtree station, Essex: 6pm – 8pm
- New Cross Gate station, London: 8am – 10am
- Newcastle station: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Norwich station: 6am – 10am
- Nottingham station: 5pm – 6pm
- Peterborough station: 6am – 8am
- Portsmouth & Southsea station: 7am – 9.30am
- Preston Park station, East Sussex: 6.05am – 9.15am and 5.45pm – 7.50pm
- Redcar Central station, Redcar & Cleveland: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Southampton Central station: 5.30am – 8.30am
- Sheffield station: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Shrewsbury station, Shropshire: 7am – 9am
- Stafford station, Staffordshire: 7.30am – 9am
- Stoke-on-Trent station, Staffordshire: 7.30am – 9am; 12noon – 1pm; 4.30pm – 6pm
- Sudbury station, Suffolk: 6.15am – 8am
- Taunton station, Somerset: 5pm – 6.30pm
- Thornaby station, Yorkshire: 7.30am – 8.30am
- Wareham station, Dorset: 8am – 10am
- Weymouth station, Dorset: 6.45am – 8.45am
- Weston-super-Mare station: 7am – 9am
- Whitstable station, Kent: 7am – 9am
- Woking station, Surrey: 5pm – 6.30pm
- Wolverhampton station, West Midlands: 7am – 9am
- York station: 7.30am – 8.30am
