SIR – Your article entitled “Children ‘biggest rail fare dodgers’” describes school children as “culprits” responsible for “offending” through the non-payment of train fairs on the Airedale Line.
It pins the blame for extortionate fare rises on these children while completely ignoring the fact that Northern Rail’s pre-tax profit for the year ending January 2011 was more than £40 million (a rise of 34 per cent on the previous year), and that they are extremely unlikely not to have made a healthy profit again when their next financial accounts are released.
Perhaps, instead of targeting school children – who largely have very little money – a better use of your time might be to investigate why companies who are heavily subsidised by the taxpayer are posting huge profits while simultaneously raising rail fare prices for honest travellers year-on-year.
Barry Cusack, Shirley Street, Shipley
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