Travel woes for train travelers in the UK just got worse, if Arriva has its way then soon passengers on Arriva’s Cross Country service will have to endure cold meals and fewer toilets as the company looks to increase seating capacity by 35%. If the plan goes through, passengers would have to face Arriva’s proposed move has drawn criticism from MPs who point that the recent price hike by the company has not resulted in any benefits for passengers.
Things are particularly severe for those on North-East trains who have to put up with some of the worst standards in Europe. Issues were bad enough to inspire a parliamentary debate in which Aberdeenshire MP Malcolm Bruce drove home his point with the help of some damning stats. He mentioned that the three main rail operators in the North-East account for more complaints than the 18 other operators across the country. Mr. Bruce added that the government would do well to restrict ticket prices by the rail franchise owners such as Arriva.