Anger as rail fare hike hits commuters
TRANSPORT Secretary Chris Grayling has come under fire for being in Qatar as rail passengers are hit with the largest fare rise in five years.
Mr Grayling is in the middle-east state to meet members of their government and business leaders.
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald claimed the timing of the two-day visit “smacks of a man running scared” as the cost of train tickets rose by an average of 3.4 per cent.
He went on: “Passengers and taxpayers deserve better than a failing Transport Secretary who refuses to defend his track record.”
Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), said that passengers forking out more for train travel will “draw their own conclusions” from Mr Grayling’s decision to take a “trip to the Qatari sunshine”.
The Department for Transport said in a statement that the visit is to “promote the UK overseas, support British jobs and strengthen the important relationship between the two countries”.
It added: “This trip has been specifically arranged to take place outside of parliamentary time.
Snub
“The Secretary of State has repeatedly answered questions on this issue, ever since fare increases were first announced by the industry in August.”
Many season tickets went up by more than £100 yesterday, including in Prime Minister Theresa May’s constituency of Maidenhead, where an annual pass to London rose by £104 to £3,092.
Other commuter routes now more expensive include Liverpool to Manchester (up £108 to £3,152), Neath to Cardiff (up £56 to £1,708) and Elgin to Inverness (up £100 to £2,904).
Protests were held outside around 40 stations with members of the ( RMT) union doling out chocolates to “sweeten the bitter pill” of the price increase.
Stephen Joseph, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport accused the Government of choosing to “snub rail passengers” by continuing to raise fares while fuel duty is frozen for a seventh consecutive year.
Their figures show that average season tickets into London terminals have gone up by £146 this year, compared with £74 last January.