Responding to the news that rail passengers
will now have to wait until
later in the year to find out if fares will
rise in January, Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive
of Campaign for Better Transport,
said:
“We welcome the news that the Government is
reconsidering the annual
RPI-linked fare rise to help
encourage more people back
to public transport.
The railway is crucial to the economy and will
play a key role in a green economic recovery,
so we want to see rail passengers
given the same break as drivers have had with the fuel duty
freeze. We’re urging the Government to
freeze fares for next year to
help increase passenger numbers
and boost the economy, as
well as reducing carbon emissions, air
pollution and congestion.
“Capping rail fares at their
current level would just be the first step in
a rail recovery plan,
with the Government
needing to go a whole lot
further to encourage people out of
their cars and onto public transport at the rate we
need to tackle climate change. We want to see
fares reform expediated, investment to ensure
all communities have access to the rail network and a shift in
the balance of transport funding away from roads and driving and
towards public transport.”
ENDS
Examples
of potential season ticket costs into London terminals
Examples of potential
season ticket costs into regional terminals
Notes to Editors
-
Campaign for Better Transport’s rail fares media
briefing is available here.
