Plans to introduce parking charges at 18 West Yorkshire railway stations, including Brighouse, have been dropped.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin had been looking at raising extra revenue to cut the Government’s subsidy to Northern Rail.

Mr McLoughlin has now scrapped the plan, which also affected Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden stations, but has heightened fears that fares may rise as a result.

Clr James Lewis, chairman of West Yorkshire public transport body Metro, welcomed the scrapping of parking charges and said: “I am pleased that Mr McLoughlin has listened to Metro’s concerns.

“Our view is that these charges would have had an adverse effect on passenger numbers and would also have had an impact upon on local highways and neighbourhoods around the stations affected by the charges.”

Clr Lewis sounded a note of concern at reports that dropping the charging scheme could lead to higher fares for local rail users instead.

Passengers across West Yorkshire have seen fares rise but little in the way of investment and new trains meaning they are still travelling on crowded and out-dated trains with little prospect of much-needed new ones in the foreseeable future,” he said.

“We appreciate there is a need for the Department for Transport to find efficiencies in the franchise but this shouldn’t be done by imposing measures that penalise local rail users in the short-term.

“I will be seeking clarification of any intentions the Department of Transport has to raise fares.”

The Government pays millions of pounds in subsidies to Northern Rail and ministers have been looking for ways to offset the cost.

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