Rail fares increase is yet another blow

ARISE of up to 3.2% in regulated rail fares in January will not just anger commuters – it will worry them.

The prospect of handing over an extra £100 to use an essential service, upon which both personal livelihoods and the UK economy depend, will leave people feeling poorer.

This is the last thing the country needs when the nearing of Brexit will inevitably intensify uncertainty in the autumn and winter.

Years of wage stagnation have left people worse off and the risk of political and economic instability will only compound a sense of insecurity. In Wales, this is particularly acute because of our enduring position at the bottom end of the earnings tables.

The rise in fares will seem an insult to those who are disappointed with the UK Government’s cancellation of Great Western electrification from Cardiff to Swansea. If we had the finest rail services in the world travellers would acknowledge that such infrastructure comes at a cost; it is much more difficult to accept the increased expenditure if your journey to work is an ordeal that leaves you irate and exhausted.

The rise in the Consumer Price Index to 2.5% for the first time since November is yet another signal that life is getting more expensive. The inflation hike was driven in part by a rise in the cost of transport and computer games.

It is possible to cut back spending on shoot-em-ups but family responsibilities will make it difficult to reduce travelling.

Home-owners who are nervous about the prospect of interest rate rises will look to the future with anxiety and hope that Brexit does not jeopardise their employment or result in a hike in the cost of everyday goods.

As the party conference season races near, the temptation will be for MPs on different sides of the Brexit debate to engage in ideological games as they pursue their utopian options for Britain’s future. This is not just dangerous, it is callous.

Families who have struggled to make ends meet for years and have borne the brunt of the downturn have also endured the consequences of austerity. Staff on the frontline of our public services have valiantly risen to the challenge of doing more with less but Wales and the UK needs the investment that only growth can unlock.

This is a time to assure those citizens on crowded trains that ministers understand their fears and are working hard on their behalf.