Many rail travellers will react with horror to the news charges could be introduced at stations where car parking is currently free.

Passengers were only recently hit with another hike in train fares. Now the journey costs for many are poised to spiral further.

But it is not only the impact on people’s wallets or purses that raises concerns.

Commuters faced with having to fork out to park could instead be tempted to find a space on nearby streets, creating a headache for residents and businesses.

Rail operators – like all companies – have to try to find ways of making savings, but continually heaping extra costs on passengers is not the answer.

Using services on the Airedale line is a convenient and generally reliable (apart from when duvets make their way on to overhead cables!) way of getting around, especially during rush-hour periods when the road network suffers gridlock.

And apart from complaints about overcrowding at peak times, most passengers seem reasonably satisfied.

But there is a danger a growing financial burden placed on those customers could signal major problems further down the track.