WelHat LibDem Rail Fare motion success at conference

9.10.46am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Sep 2009

Malcolm Cowan shows an expensive rail ticket

Local LibDems scored a major hit at the Liberal Democrat conference, when a motion from them was passed almost unanimously.

Expensive rail under Labour

County Councillor Malcolm Cowan and Welwyn resident Sandy Walkington, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans, together wrote the motion on rail, proposed at conference by Sandy, which was accepted without any changes and now becomes party policy.

Sandy says 'It shows how democratic and open our party is that policy is developed in this way from the membership. It is so different from the top-down approach of the other parties. The motion is a direct consequence of our own experiences of rail travel and those of local people.'

The motion condemned the way the government sells franchises - the right to run trains for up to 10 years as a monopoly - usually to the highest bidder. The effect is to make rail companies push up fares and charges, and the government to allow it because they are reliant on the payments.

'Instead of the government trying to keep fares down and encourage use of this green form of transport, they sit in the opposite corner, ignoring abuses of the companies' monopoly position and allowing people to be priced off the railways. Britain has the highest rail fares in Europe, and fares from WGC and St Albans are amongst the highest in the country' said Malcolm. 'I take no pleasure from knowing our residents are thus probably paying the highest fares in Europe.'

For further information, contact Malcolm Cowan on 01707-324723

PPCs Sandy Walkington and Paul Zukowskyj with Borough and County Councillor Malcolm Cowan.

Or Sandy Walkington on 07802 177317