Rail fares hikes ahead PIC: Rui Vieira/PA Wire

Rail fares hike sparks protest as London tickets hit £5,000

Tuesday, August 14, 2012
12:57 PM

Protests by rail passengers, unions and campaigners greeted news that train fares are set to rise.

Rail firms are free to raise fares by 3 per cent more than inflation from January.

It means prices hikes of 6.2 per cent for passengers – many of whom are hard-pressed as they try to make ends meet.

A series of demonstrations will be held at railway stations across the country to co-incide with news of another fare increase.

Some season tickets for commuters to London from the counties could hit £5,000.

Rail unions have warned that some fares could jump by 11% from the New Year, while most rush-hour travel, season tickets and off-peak fares will rise by well above the rate of inflation.

Meanwhile, unions claim up to 20,000 jobs in the rail industry are at risk under cost-cutting.

Railing against the plans, TUC secretary Bob Crow said: “The case for renationalising our railways, and throwing the extortionists and rip-off merchants off the tracks, is now overwhelming.

“The public is sick and tired of being charged through the nose to travel on creaking, overcrowded trains while the rail companies are robbing them blind.”

Transport Secretary Justine Greening said: “I am keen to see what we can do to keep rail fares down to something affordable.

“I shall be looking at whether there is a way of doing that in the autumn but we have to stick with our deficit-reduction policy.”