Potential rail fair increase would be 'slap in the face' says North Shropshire MP
An MP has said potential rail fair increases would be a "slap in the face" for travellers struggling with expensive tickets and unreliable services.
New figures released this week indicate that rail fares could rise by 5.8 per cent next year if the Government chooses to follow existing policy and increase fares in line with July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI).
North Shropshire's Liberal Democrat MP, Helen Morgan, has highlighted the situation, warning that the move would be a blow for those using the railways.
Commuters already face high prices for rail fares, while in North Shropshire travellers also have to contend with long distances to stations, a lack of joined-up transport options and regular last-minute changes to services.
With its regular service to Manchester, Whitchurch station serves commuters using the line to get to work.
Under the potential increase, a season ticket to Manchester Piccadilly would rise by £267 to £4,883.
Those taking the shorter journey from Whitchurch to Crewe can expect to pay an extra £121 for a season ticket that already costs £2,100.
The increases, which apply to regulated fares set by the Government, are usually applied at the rate of the RPI the previous July, plus one per cent. This year, RPI was sitting at 4.8 per cent.
Non-regulated fares, for tickets other than season tickets, are set by the train operating companies and also tend to follow the rate set for regulated fares. The rises come into effect in the following April.
Commenting on the potential rail fare rise, Ms Morgan said: "Increasing rail fares now would be nothing other than a slap in the face. At a time of rising cancellations and in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, commuters shouldn’t have to fork out more and receive less.
She added: "Commuters deserve better than just the same raw deal given under new management. Increasing fares is a false economy that will only drive down passengers and revenue in the long run.”
Day trippers travelling to the capital already face costs of £314 for an Anytime Return ticket, set to be made even more unpalatable by an increase of £18.
The price hikes will come on the back of the MP’s long-running campaign for step-free access at Whitchurch station, and at a time when poor public transport links for the area leave residents cut off.
Train travellers using Whitchurch station who can’t climb the steps to cross the platform, currently face the prospect of boarding the train going north to Wrenbury - where there is step-free access - only to change there and come back through Whitchurch as part of the journey south.
Ms Morgan added: “It’s high time rail users in North Shropshire had a service they can rely on and are given a fair deal on the cost of train travel. That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to do more to get more people onto trains, and to freeze rail fares just as has been done for fuel duty for several years.”
