The article says "May" and "September" ... so would that make 3 rises this year?   And I notice that the companies named in the article see to have a pattern of names starting with "First" ....

"We are looking for sponsorship or part funding of the service" wrote the First Great Western press office to one of the newspapers I was talking to recently, although that wasn't quoted in the final printed article.   Hey - I thought that my payment of a fare was already part funding the service, and I would be delighted to provide further part funding if they provided the trains on which I could do so.  In fact - radical statement - provide a 2 hourly TransWilts service from May, reliably by train increase all fares by a pound per journey to help cover extra costs, and I'll be delighted.