IEA: Labour's rail pledge will "shift burden from richer commuters to poorer taxpayers"

Commenting on the Labour Party's pledge to cut rail fares by a third if elected, Editorial and Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs Professor Len Shackleton said:

"Labour’s new pledge to cut rail fares by a third as part of their nationalisation scheme would shift the financial burden from richer commuters to poorer taxpayers.

"It would increase overcrowding and also shift government spending from improving local infrastructure to subsidising leisure travellers.

"This is an ill-thought-out proposal which will do nothing to help the effective running of this important industry."