Rail fare rise shows government out of touch

Rail union TSSA has dubbed the implementation of a near six per cent rise in rail fares as of Sunday (5 March) ‘a profiteers dream’ saying the government is ‘out of touch’ and should have brought in a fares freeze instead.

As of Sunday, rail fares across England will rise by a whopping 5.9 per cent. Announced in December last year this is the largest single increase in more than a decade.

Fares affected include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.

Commenting, TSSA Interim President, Marios Alexandrou, said: “It’s astounding that the government has the gall to carry on with what amounts to a profiteers dream of levying this near record hike in fares. 

“This will hit millions of workers hard while bolstering the profits of the rail companies. The Tories are totally out of touch if they think this makes sense in the teeth of a cost-of-living crisis.

“A fares freeze would not only encourage people back onto our rail network it would leave more money in the pockets of workers who have endured a truly brutal winter of high energy and food prices, sparked in the main by the negligence of Tory Ministers. “

ENDS

Notes – TSSA is an independent trade union for the transport and travel industries. We have thousands of members right across the UK and Ireland, working for the railways and associated companies, as well as ferries, bus services and the travel trade.