In The News: 20th August

Click here to listen to the latest news on Thursday, 20th August 2020

New year rail fare rises could be delayed by months to allow commuters to buy cheaper season tickets under plans being considered by ministers.

An article in The Times says the paper has learnt that the Department for Transport is drawing up proposals to implement the 2021 fare increase for England in early March.

The paper says it is part of a package of ticketing reforms designed to get passengers back on trains.

It would allow travellers to buy annual season tickets at 2020 prices, potentially providing a fares freeze for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Westminster has asked train companies to draw up plans for flexible season tickets that can be used two, three or four days a week to appeal to commuters working partly from home.

A story featuring in several of today’s national newspapers is the minute’s silence held by passengers and staff at stations around Britain to remember the victims of last week’s Stonehaven rail crash.

Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died when the train crashed into a landslide. Six others injured have now been discharged from hospital.

The Daily Star in Scotland reports comments from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who says “we will remember Brett, Donald and Christopher and hold their loved ones in our thoughts”.

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Mace has been selected to provide project management services for the Brent Cross West Station development in North London.

The project – being brought forward by Barnet Council – is part of ambitious urban regeneration plans for the wider Brent Cross area.

It involves the construction of a new rail station and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2022.

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Finally, and Greater Anglia is reminding rail passengers not to smoke on trains following a number of incidents which have inconvenienced customers and caused costly delays.

In the last eight months, there have been eight incidents where people have been caught smoking or vaping in train toilets.

These have led to a total of more than 100 minutes of delays and five cancellations costing about £20,000.

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Photo credit: ScotRail

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