Media condemns state of the railways as latest round of fare rises announced

The annual publication of rail fare hikes once again focused the media’s attention on the allegedly parlous state of the rail network in the UK, and critics of HS2 renewed their attacks on the project. Rik Thomas reports

20 August 2018

The announcement of above-inflation rail fare increases led to what has become an annual ritual of protests at train stations and media commentary on the state of the nation’s rail network

In the run up to the annual ritual of outrage at the announcement of above-inflation rail fare increases (see below), the viability, or otherwise, of the HS2 high-speed rail network briefly occupied the minds of some leading media commentators. Writing in The Times on 8 August, for example, transport commentator Christian Wolmar observed that: “Every time the spotlight is focused on HS2, the project’s basic viability seems to be increasingly questioned. It has had a reputation for...