Rail fare rise criticised

Above-inflation price increases in rail fares have been strongly criticised by opposition MPs.

Regulated fares, including season tickets, have increased by 4.3%, but some unregulated fares rose by more than 7%.

Average rises in unregulated fares include 6.6% on Virgin West Coast, 5.9% on Midland Mainline and 5.7% on Central Trains, although Merseyrail had the lowest average increase with a fare increase of 3.2%.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said that an average of £88 million per week was being spent on railways by the government, meaning that 42% of the cost of railways was being met by taxpayers.

However, the spokesman said that setting fares that are not regulated was a "commercial decision" for train operators. He said: "It is in their interests to provide an attractive range of fares and to encourage more passengers to use the railway."

However, Shadow Transport Secretary Chris Grayling accused the government of putting train operators under pressure to increase fares in order to deal with increasing overcrowding on trains.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: "At a time when some train operators are removing seating in order to cram on more passengers, these price rises are a bitter pill to swallow.

"The government should be encouraging people out of their cars and onto public transport. Allowing fares to keep on rising is not the way to do it."

(KMcA)