09.12.13
Not just north vs. south
Evidence to support a north/south divide is plentiful in a number of areas. Investment outside of London is generally lower, and as population numbers get smaller, the quality of services generally suffers.
The new Campaign for Better Transport shows that for rail at least, it is slightly more complex than that. The North West, the Midlands and Scotland have all been recognised as areas with well performing networks, while those missing out are to the east of the country, and in Wales.
Identifying these disparities is essential to tackling them; the report calls for more strategic planning to drive growth and passenger satisfaction across the UK, and not just in the spots which have already benefitted from greater investment and control.
Passengers should be able to expect a standardised service wherever they are travelling from. It is all too easy to add improvements to areas which are already performing better than those which really need support, but both the government and industry cannot afford to forget about the latter.
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