London Evening Standard, Tuesday 31 May 2011
Rail services to be fined over cattle-truck train services
Rail firms will be fined for running overcrowded trains under plans to ease cattle-truck conditions.
Ministers hope the proposal will force train companies to provide more carriages. Currently there is no incentive for firms to provide extra space because overcrowded services mean lower running costs.
The proposal is part of moves to make commuting more tolerable without taxpayers footing the bill and is set to be included in a Government White Paper later this year. A Whitehall source told the Standard: "We need to look at how we incentivise train companies to invest in new train carriages."
The 10 most overcrowded routes all serve London terminals. Some trains carry two thirds more passengers than they are designed for.
A spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies said government changes to franchise agreements would help firms deal with the problem, adding: "Overcrowding is a big concern for train companies - as private sector operators their business relies on keeping customers happy."
Rail services to be fined over cattle-truck train services
Rail firms will be fined for running overcrowded trains under plans to ease cattle-truck conditions.
Ministers hope the proposal will force train companies to provide more carriages. Currently there is no incentive for firms to provide extra space because overcrowded services mean lower running costs.
The proposal is part of moves to make commuting more tolerable without taxpayers footing the bill and is set to be included in a Government White Paper later this year. A Whitehall source told the Standard: "We need to look at how we incentivise train companies to invest in new train carriages."
The 10 most overcrowded routes all serve London terminals. Some trains carry two thirds more passengers than they are designed for.
A spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies said government changes to franchise agreements would help firms deal with the problem, adding: "Overcrowding is a big concern for train companies - as private sector operators their business relies on keeping customers happy."
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