Scrap rail fare rise to get UK back on track

Ministers warned over ‘ghost trains’

‘We need to head out to help out’

MINISTERS are under pressure to scrap the planned increase in rail fares to get commuters back into the office.

As many as two thirds of commuters say they will continue working from home if ministers plough ahead with the annual hike in season passes and other fixed fares.

Usually, the cap on the increase is linked to July’s Retail Prices Index measure of inflation – which was yesterday announced as 1.6 per cent. This would add £80 to the cost of some annual passes when the rise takes effect in January.

The Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation is now at 1 per cent.

MPs and passenger groups reacted with fury last night and called on ministers to ditch the plans in favour of a cheaper and more flexible system of part-time season tickets. They voiced concerns that passenger numbers have stagnated at around 26 per cent of normal levels – lumbering the taxpayer with a multi-billion-pound bill to run ‘ghost trains’ with hardly any passengers on them.

Amid growing anger, the Department for Transport yesterday delayed its decision on whether to increase the fares in line with inflation and said it would unveil ‘more convenient and better- value options’. Ministers said any increase will be the lowest in four years and may not apply to some routes. A total freeze on fares has not been ruled out.

As well as this, the package is likely to include flexible season tickets to reflect shifting workthe ing patterns, saving some commuters thousands.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union says a three- day pass between Brighton and London would cost £2,748 compared to the full £4,580 cost of a seven- day ticket. Huw Merriman, the Tory chairman of the Commons transport committee, said: ‘When people come back, they will not come back five days a week, for a lot of them. For years we’ve been trying to push this idea of having a three-day season ticket.

‘We need that to come out now, so that we encourage people to commute, just part of the week, and get them back into economy again.’ Anthony Smith, of passenger watchdog Transport Focus, said: ‘To get Britain moving again in the coming months, tickets that fit the way we live and travel now are needed, not just season tickets designed for city gents in the last century.

‘Like the Government’s restaurant deal, we need a “Head out to Help out” campaign to help get the country on the move again, boost the economy and reduce traffic on our roads.’

Transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: ‘We expect any rail fare rise to be the lowest in four years come January and any increase will go straight to ensuring crucial investment in our railways.

He added: ‘Covid-19 has had a huge impact on how people work and travel, which is why it’s important we make sure the railways offer more convenient and better-value options for everyone.’