A frustrated rail passenger has attacked yet another rise in parking charges at a train station, calling the controversial move profiteering.
Stuart Harvey of Worcester has attacked the 'above inflation' rise in parking fares at Worcestershire Parkway Railway Station, near Norton, which comes after parking fines reduced one elderly commuter to tears.
The charges are due to come into force early next year and follow other price hikes at the station which opened on February 23, 2020.
Worcestershire Parkway provides a transport hub with services connecting to London Paddington and routes towards Birmingham, Cardiff, and Nottingham and is widely used by people from across the county.
The 41-year-old commuter said: "Until Jan 31 2025 it cost £4.80 per day. In Feb 2025 it increased to £5.30, then in September 2025 to £5.80. In January 2026 it will rise to £6.50.
"That's a yearly increase of 35 percent. The UK inflation rate is 4 percent for the year. It must be either profiteering as there is no other parking option or their means to reduce bad press around the carpark being full mid week, i.e. price people out."
The commuter wrote to Great Western Railway to raise concerns, receiving a response assuring him there were no confirmed plans for further price rises beyond that imposed in September 2025.
Recommended reading:
- 'It has been clear for months there is insufficient parking'
- The busiest and quietest train stations in Worcester revealed
- First look inside new 10,000-home Worcestershire town
A GWR representative wrote back in September this year: "Thank you for getting in touch with your concerns about the parking charges at Worcestershire Parkway station.
"We appreciate that the recent increases in parking fees may feel significant, especially when compared with wider inflation rates and prices at other locations. Pricing is reviewed periodically and is based on a number of factors including operation costs, local demand, and ensuring facilities can continue to be maintained and improved.
"At present, there are no confirmed plans for further increases beyond the changes introduced in September. Your feedback has been noted and will be shared with the relevant team.
We have previously reported how Tom Bartley-Smith, who regularly travels to London from the station, said he had also returned to find a £100 PCN on his car, when he noticed the man in tears after discovering he had been fined.
He said both of them had not parked in designated bays as the car park had been full when they arrived.
A spokesperson for GWR said this week: "We know that no one wishes to pay more for the same thing but we need to build a sustainable railway while reducing taxpayer support.
"Prior to last year, the previous tariff change was last implemented in April 2021. This means that our tariffs have not kept pace with inflation, with local competition, or are reflective of the growth in passenger volumes and demand post-Covid.
"The off-peak tariff is not changing at £4.50 after midday Mon-Fri and all weekend."
Share