Share

Rail fares have increased at DOUBLE the rate of wages since 2010

This figure will be used to calculate the rate of increase of rail fares for the next year.

Advertisement

This year fares went up by an average of 1.1%, which was the RPI increase in July last year.

However, while the government sets the limit for rises in regulated fares, the rail companies can charge what they like for unregulated tickets, such as off-peak leisure journeys.

The analysis was released soon after the government announced another fare rise in 2017, which will affect commuters across England, Scotland and Wales.

Regulated rail fares, including season tickets on most commuter journeys and off-peak inter-city tickets, can only rise by an average of the RPI figure.

“It’s time that ministers gave rail passengers a break and actually froze fares in real terms”, Manuel Cortes, of the TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs Association) rail union, said.

The TUC is organising a day of action today highlighting claims that rail fares have risen more than twice as fast as wages over the last six years.

“Instead of increasing fares and cutting staff, we should be building an accessible, reliable train service that Britain can be proud of”, BBC quoted him as saying.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “Once more the passengers and taxpayers will wonder why they must pay more for an increasingly poor service”.

Meanwhile, on 12 August, Eurostar workers walked out with a plan to remain on strike for four days, but the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union (RMT) later suspended the action to discuss the issues relating to jobs, working conditions and safety.

“Fares on the most popular routes have jumped by more than 245 percent since rail was privatized 20 years ago”, he adds.

The exact fares for 2017 will not be published until December, but commuters will know what the average rises will be.

“It is only by bringing the railways back under public ownership as the contracts expire, that will fix the rail crisis”, he added.

Several union-based campaigns are taking place across the country today to protest the fare increase against a backdrop of deteriorating services, specifically GTR’s performance across its Southern branch in recent months.

Advertisement

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined a demonstration outside London Bridge station on Tuesday and reiterated his call for the network to be taken in to private ownership.

Rail fares have increased at DOUBLE the rate of wages since 2010