news
east Coast line
soham station
Fares CoUlD Drop
plan under
consideration
A railway station in Soham,
by arthur allan return trip last month would month. The government had Cambridgeshire could be
Fares on the East Coast Main have cost business travellers originally said it would be unable reopened, 44 years after it was
Line could be cut as the around £132 for a standard fare, to reverse the fare hikes already axed in the Beeching plan, and 65
government-owned service sets compared with around £70 on planned by National Express. years after a wartime munitions
out to compete with cheap flights. EasyJet. ‘We want to reduce fares, but explosion on the railway destroyed
Transport minister Lord A DfT spokesman said: ‘The without affecting the profitability station buildings.
Adonis has launched a review secretary of state has asked the of the company,’ the spokesman The call for a new station
of ticket prices on the London– East Coast company to look at added. in the town, repeatedly put
Edinburgh route. He also wants how fares can be made more Lord Adonis told The Guardian forward by East Cambridgeshire
to see a simplified fare structure. attractive, with a view to cutting he did not think it acceptable District Council as part of the
After taking over the service some fares and getting more to have trains running on the Soham Vision master plan
from National Express, the passengers on the service. line half-full: ‘I want to see rail for future growth, was again
Department of Transport ‘East Coast will be looking at become more competitive with urged for inclusion in planned
discovered that first class the prices and the complexity of both aviation and motoring. Our improvements to the Felixstowe
carriages were running at less the existing fares.’ stewardship of the East Coast to Nuneaton line.
than a third full on average, with He was unable to confirm Main Line is an opportunity to Network Rail noted the
less than two-thirds occupancy in whether this might mean a do that.’ council’s request and is including
standard class. u-turn on price rises of between He also raised the possibility of it in its considerations for the
The service is suffering in three per cent and five per cent running a faster peak-time service £8m, EU-funded project. If
competition with budget airlines. for some unregulated fares, on the route in the mornings and approved, it would give the town a
An Edinburgh–London weekday scheduled to take effect this evenings.’ direct link to Ely and Cambridge.
Charles Warner, a local
businessman, said the
King’s Cross tiCKet hall opens
announcement was a long-
awaited boost for Soham.
The new £800m Department for Transport funded ticket hall. It is a bright spacious, futuristic addition to the Councillor Gareth Wilson, East
booking hall at King’s Cross St Pancras underground station London transport network, which will benefit hundreds Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat
– much awaited by its 300,000 daily users – opened for of thousands of passengers each year and make their leader, said: ‘We have campaigned
business on Sunday 29 November, two days after the journeys easier.’ for a long time to get this station
official opening ceremony by London mayor Boris Johnson Tessa Jowell said the station and its passengers reinstated and this decision is very
and minister for London Tessa Jowell. deserved the new booking hall as the station handles more welcome.’
Users of this third ticket hall at the station are expected passengers than Heathrow Airport. She also stressed that Councillor Peter Moakes,
to get through much faster as it doubles the capacity, it will play a significant part in the 2012 London Olympics. chairman of the Strategic
which should greatly reduce congestion and cut waiting She insisted: ‘By the time the Olympics take place in 2012, Development Committee,
times with more ticket windows and machines. more than 100,000 people will be passing through the said: ‘We, along with the local
Johnson explained: ‘This is more than just a new ticket station at peak times everyday.’ community, have campaigned for
years to bring a railway station
A
tkins
back to Soham.
‘The reintroduction of the
railway station in Soham is a key
part of the masterplan for the
market town and it is heartening
to hear our arguments have been
taken on board.
‘However there is still a long
way to go and there are many
issues to tackle as we move
forward.’
A Network Rail spokesman said
the plan was subject to ‘detailed
studies.’
6 rail professional : JANUARY 2010
RPJan10 pp06-07 News.indd 6 10/12/09 17:19:00
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