Government is responsible for backdoor rail fare rises

4 September 2009
Campaign for Better Transport is blaming the Government for the fare increases being introduced this weekend on trains in the East Midlands and South West. The organisation says that train companies are increasing fares so that they can pay back billions of pounds promised in ‘premium payments’ to the Government. It calls on the Government to revisit the policy it has of reducing its contribution to rail and making passengers pay more. Cat Hobbs, the group’s public transport campaigner, says: “The Government wants train fares to keep going up – but it’s happy for train companies to take the blame. Train companies are squeezing passengers in order to pay back billions of pounds to the Government. These fare rises are unfair and unsustainable.”