Transport groups in Bradford have welcomed the publication of a report which calls for better value for money on Britain’s railways.

The report by former Civil Aviation Authority chairman Sir Roy McNulty recommended a full review of rail fares as well as cost-cutting measures which could deliver savings of between £700 million and £1 billion annually by 2019.

The report, which said rail wages were too high and working hours too short, cited ten main barriers to efficiency including the role of the Government in the railways, the fares structure and the franchise system.

In response to Sir Roy’s findings, Bradford Councillor Chris Greaves, chairman of West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority Metro, said: “Local rail networks such as West Yorkshire’s make an enormous contribution to the economy of northern cities so I am also pleased that he has highlighted the need to look at the way the rail industry outside London and the south east is structured and financed."

James Vasey, chairman of Bradford Rail Users’ Group, said he welcomed some of the report’s recommendations, in particular proposals to de-centralise rail planning for local services.

But he said he had concerns about the effect of changing the cost of fares on local and national rail travel.

  • Read the full story in Friday's T&A