HARD TIMES

摘要

The award of the new Northern and TransPennine Express rail franchises - to Arriva and First -are important pointers of the way the Westminster government wants transport provision to develop. The chancellor is fixated on certain issues, deficit reduction and the Northern Powerhouse (whatever that means) being two of them. The new franchises encapsulate both; taken together, subsidy will reduce by about £500million over the franchise period, lots of new trains will be introduced, the unloved Pacer trains will be replaced, many new services will be introduced and frequencies doubled on others. This is a win-win situation. The government achieves both its political and financial aims and the passenger gets more and better trains. How has this been paid for? All of this is made possible by the annual 5 to 6% compound growth in rail passengers, which provides adequate income to fund the enhancements. And no doubt it is hoped that this will accelerate with the improved services.