Rail fare rise: Campaign for Better Transport reacts

Responding to the announcement that rail fares will rise by up to 5.9 per cent in March 2023, Norman Baker of Campaign for Better Transport said:

"We must be grateful for small mercies: it is clear that the increase could have been much worse. But this is still a large rise which will deter some people from using the railways.

"This increase stands in stark contrast to the situation with fuel duty, which was cut earlier this year after being frozen for years.

"What the Government ought to do is freeze rail fares to help passengers and encourage people onto the railways. Such a freeze could be funded by taxing fuel on domestic flights."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The fares announcement can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/biggest-government-intervention-ever-to-keep-rail-fares-down 

Fuel duty for drivers was cut in March 2022 after being frozen for 12 years: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-cut-to-fuel-duty/spring-statement-2022-fuel-duty-factsheet 

Earlier this year Campaign for Better Transport called on the Government to introduce a fuel tax on domestic flights and use the money to fund a rail fare freeze for 2023: https://bettertransport.org.uk/media/tax-aviation-fuel-fund-rail-fare-freeze-say-campaigners/