政府's secret 取引，協定 to 二塁打 rail fares

By KRISTINA PEDERSON, Daily Mail

Last updated at 11:42 29 June 2006


The 政府 engineered a secret を取り引きする the country's largest train company to 二塁打 fares on much-used 大勝するs - as a cheap way of 減ずるing overcrowding, it has 現れるd.

The scandalous fare 引き上げ（る）s, 課すd by First 資本／首都 Connect this month, 影響する／感情 dozens of popular London lines to 目的地s north of the 資本／首都.

Cheap day returns are no longer valid during the 急ぐ hour period between 4.30pm and 7pm, meaning people who have to travel home from work will be 軍隊d to 支払う／賃金 much more for 基準 return tickets.

ひどく used 通勤（学）者 belt 大勝するs such as Bedford to London will now cost 乗客s an extortionate £30.30 rather than £16.

Other lines 影響する／感情d 含む London to St Albans, now £14.50 rather than £7.90 and London to Luton, 普通は £11.30, is now £20.80.

The Department for 輸送（する） (DfT) agreed to the fare 増加するs when it awarded the franchise to First last year.

And although Alistair Darling, the 輸送（する） 長官 at the time, 発表するd that the 取引，協定 would '配達する better services to 乗客s', he failed to 知らせる the public that the cost of many 大勝するs would 二塁打.

A DfT spokeswoman said: "First 現在のd us with an 選択 to 増加する some of the fares unregulated by the 政府.

"We looked at the 選択s but they have 商業の freedom to raise their fares."

Commenting on the department's 決定／判定勝ち（する） not to 知らせる the public, she said: "The company did not tell us when they planned to 器具／実施する the price changes."

She 追加するd: "It is a 解答 to overcrowding, but we are open to all methods to 減ずる overcrowding."

増加するs are also 存在 put 今後 for South West Trains, used by 140 million 乗客s 年一回の.

The manoeuvre has 乱暴／暴力を加えるd 乗客 監視者 London TravelWatch.

Chairman Brian Cooke said: "It was devious of the 政府 not to make （疑いを）晴らす what had been agreed in First's 企て，努力，提案.

"大臣s 手配中の，お尋ね者 First to do their own dirt y work. When a franchise is agreed, the 政府 should すぐに publish all of the 条件, not just the attractive bits."

Mr Cooke said 追加するing extra carriages would have すぐに helped overcrowding, rather than pricing 通勤（学）者s out of 頂点（に達する） time travel.

A spokeswoman for First 資本／首都 Connect said: "The fare 増加するs have worked 井戸／弁護士席 so far to 減ずる overcrowding during 頂点（に達する） times.

"We are however 減ずるing the number of 駅／配置するs 影響する／感情d from 37 to 25."

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