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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Helen Pidd

Just how bad do Britain’s trains have to get before the Tories act?

Mark Harper Avanti Helen Pidd Britain England Jason Wood Manchester London TransPennine Express
A TransPennine Express train (left) and a Northern service just outside Manchester Piccadilly station.
A TransPennine Express train (left) and a Northern service just outside Manchester Piccadilly station. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

I was hoping for some catharsis on Wednesday. The new secretary of state for transport, Mark Harper, was due in Manchester to deliver a keynote speech, and I was ready for him.

Secretary of state, did you pay £369.40 for a peak return on Avanti West Coast this morning? Does that seem a fair price for a journey lasting barely two hours? Did tickets only appear on Trainline a day or two beforehand, with all the cheapest options mysteriously sold out?

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