As rail fare prices increase, Dugher says ministers are out of touch

Today, rail fares across the country are increasing by up to 2.5% – this includes season tickets. While the average rail fare will increase by 2.2%.

The Campaign for Better Transport have pointed out that this adds to ongoing rail price increases since 2010. They have said that sine January 2010 the cost of a Milton Keynes to London season ticket had risen by  £930 (23.5%).

Labour have criticised the latest rise. Michael Dugher, Shadow Transport Secretary explained:

“David Cameron is presiding over a rip-off railway in Britain.  He has failed to stand up for working people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and has allowed the train companies to hit passengers with massive fare rises of over 20 per cent since 2010.  

“Some season tickets have now risen by over 30 per cent under this Government, forcing people to pay thousands of pounds more to commute to work on increasingly overcrowded trains.     

“Out-of-touch Ministers talk about ‘fair fares for comfortable commuting’, but this is a world away from the reality for millions of hard-up commuters.    

“Labour would deliver a better deal for passengers and taxpayers by reforming the railways, simplifying the ticketing system and enforcing a strict cap on fares on every route.

“We will also give passengers a voice in how the railways are run and stop passengers getting fleeced at ticket machines by making it a legal right for passengers to be sold the cheapest available ticket for their journey.”