This Is The Age Of The Train ran the old British Rail advert.

Sadly, if there ever was an Age Of The Train, 2006 isn't it. The Age Of The Car, more like.

GNER seems to have confirmed that with its announcement today.

From July, the price of parking at York Railway Station is to rise from £8 to £12 a day. For commuters, the price of an annual parking ticket will go up from £864 to - staggeringly - almost £1,296

GNER could hardly devise a better method of turning people away from the train.

In the busy 21st century, convenience is everything. Commuters might be willing to opt for the comfort of train travel if they know they can drive to the station and leave their car there. But how many will continue to do so if they have to catch a bus first?

For travellers, that 50 per cent increase in the cost of day parking is a slap in the face. And the huge rise in the cost of an annual parking ticket is even more of one for commuters - who are, let's not forget, GNER's most loyal customers.

Add that £1,300 a year to the cost of a season train ticket, and many commuters will decide enough is enough - and opt to go by car instead.

GNER justifies the price hike by claiming the cost of station parking "will remain competitive with other all-day parking charges in the city centre."

But that's not the point. The city council has been cutting back on parking spaces in York in an attempt to get people out of their cars. Putting up the cost of parking at York Railway Station will have exactly the opposite effect. And that's not good for anyone - GNER included.

Updated: 09:32 Tuesday, May 09, 2006