Northern Rail have just introduced new peak time prices in an evening, leading to huge price rises for some travellers. The most extreme example I’ve heard is a Wigan to Manchester Piccadilly return ticket jumping from £4.20 to £9.10 (that’s up 117 per cent!)

The new peak time runs from 16:01 to 18:29 Monday to Friday and affects all journeys within Greater Manchester, plus routes to Alderly Edge, Burscough bridge, Buxton, New Mills Central and Warrington.

Just weeks ago passengers were worrying about a 4% rise for the coming year, to have this change now will be absolutely devastating to some. I’ve heard from people who are worried about being stranded in town centres around the region waiting for peak time to end so they can afford to go home, and others have told me they simply won’t use the train any more.

The Government are talking about this as some sort of victory in the fight against overcrowding, but forcing people off the trains is simply disgraceful. We want better trains and more carriages, we want fewer people on the roads and more people using public transport.

I will be taking this up with the Government and with Northern Rail. How have you been impacted by the change? What difference will it make to you? Please get in touch and share your story, help me fight back.

At Bolton Train station – Winter 2013 – Lobbying Northern and Transpennine Express to end overcrowding