Rail passengers punished with inflation-busting fare rises
Most rail fares in Britain increase by 4.9% on Sunday, while inflation is
just 4%. "Why are rail passengers being punished year after year with
inflation-busting fare rises?" asked Chris Page, chair of the campaign group
Railfuture. "No matter that there's a cost of living crisis, no matter that
we're facing a climate emergency, the government seems more determined than
ever to price us off the railway and onto the roads.
Cars can be up to 15 times more polluting than trains, yet the government
consistently freezes fuel duty, encouraging us to use the dirty polluting
option. If the government wanted to be serious about going green, it would
be pushing rail as a solution.
"Motorists got a much better deal with the 'temporary' 5p fuel duty
reduction in 2022 which looks more and more like a permanent cut. The
government can find the money to sweeten the deal for motorists but won't do
anything about rail fares which are amongst the most expensive in Europe.
"Will next week's budget deliver a level playing field for the railway- or
will, yet again, the duty on road fuels be frozen? It would be grossly
unfair for rail travellers if they pay even more whilst motorists don't."