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Virgin commuters hit by strikes over increase in fares
Dick Murray, Transport Correspondent18 Nov 2009
Passengers using Sir Richard Branson's West Coast Main Line face a double whammy of fare increases and strike action, it was revealed today.
Ticket office staff will begin a “rolling programme” of walkouts at five of the biggest stations between London and Glasgow. The first will take place at peak time on Friday afternoon and Euston — with tens of thousands of passengers returning home for the weekend — is certain to be hit.
Union chiefs have ordered the strikes in protest over what they say are plans by Virgin Trains to force travellers to buy more expensive tickets by limiting the number of windows at booking offices. Queuing travellers will have to buy them from staff via hand-held machines.
Virgin Trains is increasing “Anytime” peak fares by six per cent from January. Anytime first class and first class generally will rise by four per cent. The company is also restricting cheaper off-peak travel times between London and Glasgow by nearly seven hours a week.
Gerry Doherty, leader of the TSSA transport union, said: “Our members will be striking on Friday to defend the full service they give passengers, including advice on the cheapest ticket option.” On fares, he said: “Passengers are facing a double increase because the company is placing further restrictions on cheaper off-peak travel. Those who wish to make a day trip into London before 11.30 am will now have to buy more expensive fares.”
A letter to staff from Glynn McDonald, Virgin stakeholder engagement manager, said the “adjustments” to off-peak times would only affect 14 out of the 330 trains run every day, and prices of tickets bought by eight in 10 passengers “will be reduced or frozen”.
A spokesman for Virgin Trains, which has seen a 20 per cent rise in passenger numbers over the past year, described as “nonsense” TSSA's claims that customers were being forced to buy expensive tickets. He said machines were being brought in to give greater choice and speed up purchases. On fare rises, he said: “The union must ask itself, if we don't balance the books what happens to jobs?”
Reader views (9)
I have started using Virgin more & more in the last couple of years. Manchester was usually better by train before the new faster times they introduced this year. Glasgow was always by plane. However even this can be much quicker centre to centre & cheaper than business plane fares. I can work, sleep & Virgin staff are on the whole lovely, especially when the wine keeps flowing in 1st class! Much more civilised.
- Mark, London, 23/11/2009 18:15
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I think Paul, London is getting a little bit confused. Assuming that the comment below about not driving trains is referring to the situation on FCC. Drivers are NOT refusing to drive trains during their normal working hours. They are refusing to drive trains during their free days...in other words their days off. Now if you suggested that ticket office staff protest by refusing to work on their days off thereby, [and only mabye], denying Virgin a bit of income from fares then that's different...Virgin would probably just roster a spare man to work the ticket office anyway, so fares would still be collected and the original ticket office worker would be denied the opportunity to boost his or her poor wage. To refuse to collect fares during a normal working day IS refusing duty and opens up the staff to possible dismissal.
Under British Rail, unlike ASLEF & the NUR, now the RMT, it was unheard of for the TSSA to threaten industrial action. Privatisation and profiteering companies, who quite frankly are not really that interested in the comfort of the travelling public have changed all that.
- Rodders, Feltham SWTLand, 19/11/2009 08:28
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Virgin Trains are just rubbish. It is now cheaper for my company to pay for a taxi to send more than two employees on business trips to Manchester or Birmingham instead of using the train.
- Simon, London, 18/11/2009 15:16
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Does not driving their trains not count as not doing their job? And driving a train isn't exactly rocket science - you don't even have to steer!
- Paul, London, 18/11/2009 15:13
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Wilky, london:
"Paul hit the nail on head!"
A silly comment about another silly comment.
[Alan, carlisle uk] & [Rodders, Feltham] are the ones who have hit the nail on the head.
- Mark H, London England, 18/11/2009 13:13
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Paul hit the nail on head!
- Wilky, london, 18/11/2009 11:58
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Paul, London:
Oh dear, another silly comment about the rail workers.
Not collecting fares...in other words doing their job...opens them up to discipline and possibly the sack. Everyone seems to think that rail workers have a cushy life at work and management can't touch them for fear of the creature known as "Bob". That's far from the truth.
- Rodders, Feltham SWTLand, 18/11/2009 10:09
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A spokesman for Virgin Trains said: “The union must ask itself, if we don't balance the books what happens to jobs?” Er, nothing, They generally persuade Gord and his government to give them large dollops of folding stuff so that the share holders can get a dividend.
- Alan, carlisle uk, 18/11/2009 09:22
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So if they're upset with fares going up,why not just refuse to collect fares rather than - yet again - taking the strike option? That would get a lot more support from the passengers, but I guess the lure of staying in bed is just too strong.
- Paul, London, 18/11/2009 09:20
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