A CUMBRIAN MP has called for rail fares to be linked to the performance of the operator following a summer of misery for South Lakes commuters.
Passengers using rail links in the South Lakes have endured a miserable period of frequent cancellations and strike action.
MP Tim Farron has written to the transport secretary requesting performance-related fares to be imposed.
He said: "Commuters in the South Lakes have endured a summer of misery and are being forced to pay even more for less with another big increase in rail fares set for next year.
"I’ve written to the government asking for there to be a linkage between rail prices and the previous years’ rail performance.
"At the moment rail users in Cumbria are having to pay first class prices for third rate train service and this cannot be allowed to continue."
Next January, rail prices are set to increase by more than three per cent meaning that an off-peak return from Oxenholme to London Euston will now cost over £100 for the first time.
Recent data found that trains were cancelled on the Furness Line at a rate of nearly one a day during the summer, while over a quarter of trains on the Lakes Line have been delayed since April.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here