Better deal for commuters

Not a week goes by without rail companies hitting the headlines with cancellations, price hikes and packed trains. Commuters are paying more for their tickets and getting less service so it is staggering to learn Kent commuters should pay far more for a return ticket to the capital than their London counterparts travelling to stations in the county.

Southeastern argues season ticket prices and peak fares are controlled by government but it is clear the confusing strategy for return tickets should be made clearer.

Single tickets remain the same, some high-speed services cost more than the slower service.

It is clear negotiating the cheapest priced tickets takes an inordinate amount of time and energy and with bad service and inflationbusting rises it’s another reason for commuters to be furious.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will come under greater scrutiny as railways become increasingly politicised with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sitting on the floor of a Virgin train and Kent MP Tom Tugendhat condemning the abject misery faced by Southern commuters with its lack of service and the continued staff strikes.

MPs from across the political spectrum are calling for nationalisation or a complete overhaul.

It is more important than ever to highlight pricing discrepancies and hold the operators and the DfT to account.

We rely on our trains, they are now the most expensive in Europe. Many are overcrowded and are often the only feasible way for people to get into work.

We only want two simple things – one start charging the same price for the same number of miles covered and for our train companies to make fare prices as clear as possible with the cheapest version available first.