Rail fares in England and Wales are to rise this week as part of the biggest ticket price hike in nearly a decade.
In what is the biggest rise since 2013, according to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), and in what is believed to be in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure on inflation for last July, plus one percentage point, the cap on rail fare rises has increased from today, and it means ticket prices could go up by as much as 3.8%.
This means, as an example, that a year-round season ticket between Liverpool and Manchester goes up by £105 to £2,865.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, most rail fares – excluding season tickets, which are regulated by the government – were controlled by train operators, but those have since come under state control.
This was after billions of pounds were pumped into the industry to keep services running.
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Addressing the price hike, a Department for Transport spokesperson told Sky News: “We have protected passengers by delaying these fare rises by two months and, even then, opting for a figure well below current inflation rates, but we must now look to recoup some of the £14 billion which was spent to keep vital services running throughout the pandemic in a way that is fair for all taxpayers.”
Rail fares are to rise by up to 3.8% in the biggest price hike since 2013 / Credit: Northern Rail
The DfT says that despite price rises, it hopes it will still “be able to encourage people back on to trains” whilst “funding the necessary improvements and unprecedented investment that will benefit all those who use our railways.”
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This week’s price hike has been criticised as “counterproductive” by campaigners and various transport groups.
Bruce Williamson of the campaign group Railfuture called the rises to fares “eye-watering” and said the government was “stoking the fire of the cost of living crisis”, adding that it was time to stop linking rail fares to the RPI inflation index.
“Inflation this year is likely to hit 8%, so unless the government changes the formula, the average rail traveller will be bankrupted next year,” he said.
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Paul Tuohy – Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport – said: “This fare rise couldn’t come at a worst time and will simply add to the cost-of-living crisis. We need to get people back into workplaces, eating in town centre cafes and shopping on their lunch breaks to help kickstart the economy.”
A year-round season ticket between Liverpool and Manchester will go up by £105 to £2,865 / Credit: Flickr
The government has also received criticism.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “This brutal Tory fare hike will be a nightmare for millions of passengers”, while Manuel Cortes – the general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association – said that raising rail fairs post-pandemic is “a staggeringly stupid move by this Tory government”.
“It’s almost as though ministers want to force people off our railways and into cars in an effort to speed up our climate crisis,” he added.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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New images released of Piccadilly Gardens as transformation plans take a big step forward
Daisy Jackson
Plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens to make them more ‘colourful, vibrant and safe’ have taken a big step forward today, with new images released.
Manchester City Council has shared the vision to the public ahead of a planning application being submitted this summer.
The plans to finally give Piccadilly Gardens some love were revealed last autumn, but things are now moving at pace with a delivery team appointed to design and build the new public space.
The new images show the vision for more green space, including lawns, trees, planting, seating, and colourful horticultural displays.
The temperamental fountains will also be removed for good, replaced with a new space called The Pavilion which will host family-friendly events.
The low concrete walls and raised planters at the edge of the gardens will be ripped out, improving the setting of the Queen Victoria statue.
There’ll be a new, larger playground for younger children, created in the same high quality style as the new parks at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green.
A pre-planning consultation has started today and will run until Wednesday 15 July, with plans to submit the final planning application later this summer.
The new-look play area at Piccadilly GardensPlans for the new Piccadilly Gardens from above
The council has said that these new designs reflect feedback from the public and opinions on what we want to see at the new Piccadilly Gardens.
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We’re getting on with sorting out Piccadilly Gardens. We all want to see a space which Mancunians can be proud of – a welcoming and attractive environment which people want to spend time in.
“So as well other initiatives which are delivering more police and more CCTV, we’re bringing forward this scheme to transform the public space. That means investment in more flowers, more greenery, a new welcome pavilion, a new and bigger playground and an altogether more inviting Piccadilly Gardens. A bright new chapter is just around the corner.”
Further planned improvements to the area around Piccadilly Gardens in the coming years will include a multi-million pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester to create a new, modern transport interchange.
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Emily Sergeant -
1st March 2022 
