IT will come as no surprise to long-suffering rail passengers that they are about to be hit by an above-inflation rise in fares.
The increases will hardly encourage more people to use public transport.
We already have the highest rail fares in Europe. These annual increases will force more people off rail on to our already overcrowded roads.
Passengers are being priced off rail, the reverse of what should be happening.
It makes no sense at all when ministers are constantly talking about cutting carbon emissions to save the environment.
The fares rise is completely on the wrong track and more a policy for gridlock on the roads than one for the green agenda which the Government talks about.
These annual increases – especially ones of such magnitude – will force more people off rail on to our already overcrowded roads. It is the reverse of what we should be doing.
It is time for a debate on whether we should have a social railway like other European countries rather than paying subsidies to private train operating companies.
