Rail fares increased by 3.1% in England and Wales on Wednesday, leading to protests across stations.
The rise in rail prices is considerably more than the 2.6% rise in the average wage in 2018, increasing the cost of rail fares by hundreds of pounds to many commuters.
Despite the high number of strike action, cancellations and delayed trains the increase in fares has been defended by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and the rail industry who have said that 98p on every pound spent on tickets is reinvested back into the rail.
The shadow transport secretary, Andy McDonald, has not defended the increase to price fares and said: “Today’s rail fare increases are an affront to everyone who has had to endure years of chaos on Britain’s railways.”
“Falling standards and rising fares are a national disgrace. The government must now step in to freeze fares on the worst-performing routes,” he added.
Prices in London will be frozen, thanks to London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Anthony Smith, who is the chief executive of the independent watchdog TransportFocus, said: “Passengers now pour over £10 billion a year into the railway alongside significant government investment, so the rail industry cannot be short of funding. When will this translate into a more reliable services that are better value for money?”
Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, said: “The most reliable thing about our railways is the cash that goes to private shareholders each year. But with the most expensive fares in Europe, that can’t be right. It’s rewarding failure and taking money away that should be invested in better services.”
“It’s time to take the railways back into public hands. Every penny from every fare should go back into the railways. The number one priority should be running a world-class railway service, not private profit.”