Commuters left angry after another hike in rail prices is announced
- Rail prices set to increase by 2.8% in the new year
- This is higher than inflation (2%) and without improvements to services being made
- Deputy Mayor calls on government to give Manchester greater control of its railways
Rail prices are set to rise by 2.8% in the new year, it has been announced today.
This figure is based on the Retail Prices Index (RPI) for June, which is one method of determining inflation, but is above the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) which is the more universally accepted figure of inflation, which stands at 2.1%
This price hike is expected on average to cost people an additional £100 each year to travel to work.
Bev Hughes, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “This is another kick in the teeth for Greater Manchester’s long-suffering rail commuters. After another year of delays, cancellations and overcrowded trains, the travelling public will find it hard to understand how another fare increase can possibly be justified.
“Many people have given up travelling on our trains because they can’t guarantee getting to work on time, or getting home before their children are in bed. Putting up fares is not going to help win those people back.
“Greater Manchester is calling on the government to give us more control of our railways so we can deliver a better service that puts people first and that is integrated with the rest of our public transport.”
Greater Manchester was one of the most affected local rail areas for delays last summer and earlier this year, mayor Andy Burnham called for Northern Rail to be stripped of its service for a string of failures.
Despite having one of the most extensive and safest railway systems in Europe, the UK also has some of the worst punctuality levels and highest train prices in the continent.