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Prime Minister backs regional daily’s rail compensation campaign

CameronPrime Minister David Cameron has backed a regional daily’s campaign to get a fairer compensation scheme for commuters affected by late trains.

Mr Cameron, left, lent his support to the campaign by Brighton daily The Argus during the last Prime Minister’s Questions before Parliament was dissolved ahead of the 7 May election.

He was quizzed by Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas  on whether he would back the scheme to put “money back in passengers’ pockets”.

Earlier this year The Argus ran a series of exclusive stories highlighting the plight of Brighton to London commuters, with figures showing how 1,700 trains between Brighton and London Victoria were late in January.

However due to operator Southern Rail’s compensation scheme, passengers were only able to claim for 59 of those affected journeys.

The Argus also revealed one of the services, the 7.29am from Brighton, was late every single day in 2014.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Lucas said: “The Brighton Argus recently revealed that, in the space of a single month, nearly 1,700 trains between Brighton and London Victoria ran late, but, to add insult to injury, unfair train company rules meant that passengers could claim compensation on just 59 of those 1,700 journeys.

She asked Mr Cameron: “Will he join me in backing The Argus newspaper campaign for a fairer compensation system that puts money back into passengers’ pockets?”

The Prime Minister responded: “The hon. Lady is right to raise the case of rail compensation.

“We are looking closely at The Argus campaign and at what can be done to make the compensation scheme simpler and easier to deliver for people.”

An Argus editorial welcomed the Prime Minister’s backing.

It reads: “Southern Rail declined to comment on the Commons discussion, but with the country’s leader admitting rail passenger compensation is an issue to be reviewed, we hope this is a step closer to reform.

“For too long commuters and rail users have been expected to absorb increasing rail fares while at the same time enduring falling rates of customer service and punctuality. Enough is enough.”

3 comments

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  • March 31, 2015 at 9:21 am
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    ‘Exclusive’ stories? They were about trains from Brighton, who else is going to write them if not the Argus?

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  • March 31, 2015 at 11:07 am
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    Some exclusive! I seem to recall the Argus was a bit slow out of the blocks reporting the Commons angle after millions saw it on TV. No doubt new ed will sharpen them up a bit.

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  • March 31, 2015 at 4:42 pm
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    “‘Exclusive’ stories? They were about trains from Brighton, who else is going to write them if not the Argus?”

    Most of the nationals – plus various TV stations – picked them up.

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