'It's a travesty our soldiers can't afford to go home to see their families'

03 February 2024 , 17:29

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Soldiers have spoken of their struggles affording train travel (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images)

What kind of country do we live in when our serving soldiers cannot afford to travel home to see their families for the weekend?

In my work supporting the Armed Forces, every week a soldier tells me that he or she is struggling to cover the cost of their train fares home to see their families. And I know what they mean – I can’t afford to go gallivanting in London for a weekend at the drop of a hat because train fares have gone through the roof, unless you can book them weeks or months in advance.

There is only one rail line from Manchester to London and one train company runs that line, so can they charge whatever they like? And don’t get me started on how much money the HS2 debacle has cost.

A good friend of mine from the Army is based in the South of England, but his family live in Newcastle. The cheapest rail ticket he can get, with a forces railcard that he has to pay for, is around £90 for a five-hour journey with three changes.

Grant Shapps is now Defence Secretary (PA)

And here is me thinking the Government wanted to help the environment by encouraging us to ditch our cars and use public transport. I don’t see much encouragement there. To me the prices of those tickets says the Government and the rail companies are just paying lip service to their anti-climate change boasts.

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How have we got to the stage where it is morally acceptable to charge people who are putting their lives on the line for our country that sort of money, just to be able to see their families?

We can all see the unstable situation the world is in with Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East that we are, ultimately, being drawn into. Meanwhile, these young soldiers who are trying to serve King and country can’t afford the fares to go home at the weekend. Shouldn’t the British Forces rail warrant be extended so soldiers can go and see their families?

The increase in train fares for us all has bothered me for years and I have tweeted Grant Shapps about it, both when he was Transport Secretary and now he is Defence Secretary.

He hasn’t responded. I would be delighted to come to Downing Street, sit down with him and present the stories of all the people I meet on my Army travels on this issue. So come on Mr Shapps, let’s get a date in the diary.

Antony Cotton