spin
February 3rd, 2006
It’s amazing how much bias can be included in a newspaper article, especially one you expect to report factually.
Today, The Times reports on the decision to axe the Gatwick Express rail service. The emphasis in the article is that cutting back this service is a bad thing. However, they conveniently fail to mention a few points:
- they mention the journey time of stopping trains to Brighton being 40-50 minutes, but fail to mention that the express trains from London Victoria to Brighton reach Gatwick Airport in just 32 minutes, a mere 2 minutes greater than the overpriced Gatwick Express
- greater capacity on the line for people who use it on a daily basis is a good thing, it will encourage a greater number of people to routinely shift to an alternative form of transport, eg for commuting
- A major criticism of the ‘regular’ trains on this route is that they are too busy and there will not be enough space for airport passengers and their luggage. Clearly, increasing the capacity for these regular services will help to create more space for passengers
- Some regular trains also stop at other stations, such as Clapham Junction, which means there is more flexibility for boarding from points other than Victoria
- etc. The list goes on.
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