‘Outrageous’ rail fare hike slammed amid soaring cancellations and strikes

An inflation-busting five per cent hike in rail fares has been dubbed “outrageous” amid soaring cancellations and ongoing industrial action.

Sunday’s increase is above the current inflation rate of four per cent and comes in contrast with policy in London, where public transport fares have been frozen for the current year.

Fares have risen continuously in recent years despite Britain’s railway network going through one of the most turbulent times in its history.

Cancellations have risen to the highest levels in a decade and the industrial dispute with unions has raged for well over a year.

A 5.9 per cent rise in rail fares in March last year was the largest increase in history.

Louise Haigh MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, said the fare rise would be “tough for passengers to stomach given the shocking state of rail services up and down the country”.

She added: “Since coming to power in 2010 the Tories have hiked fares by almost twice as much as wages, and now passengers are being asked to pay more for less.

“Cancellations are at their highest ever levels, the biggest wave of industrial action in decades is causing chaos on the network, and failing operators continue to be rewarded with millions of pounds in fees.”

Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the rail and transport union TSSA, described the hike as “outrageous,” with it adding “hundreds of pounds to annual travel costs for many commuters”.

“It’s as though the government is unable to see further than the demands of the profiteering rail companies who will again be the only winners,” she added.

Analysis from the Campaign for Better Transport estimates the rise will leave passengers an extra £300 out of pocket for season tickets on popular routes, including Canterbury or Brighton to London.

But the government argues that the increase strikes the right balance between keeping the cash-strapped rail sector running, while not forcing passengers onto the road.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said in December after the rise was announced: “Having met our target of halving inflation across the economy, this is a significant intervention by the government to cap the increase in rail fares below last year’s rise.

“Changed working patterns after the pandemic means that our railways are still losing money and require significant subsidies, so this rise strikes a balance to keep our railways running, while not overburdening passengers.”

In January, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced fares on the London Underground, overground and buses would be frozen until March 2025.

Khan is also trialling off-peak Friday’s until May in a bid to boost ridership on the Transport for London (TfL) network.