Next month’s rail fare increase means Crawley commuters will be paying £1,623 more under the Tories

With fares set to increase by 5.9% on 5th March, Crawley commuters will now be paying £1,623 more for a season ticket to London than they were under the last Labour Government.

While the planned increase is below current rates of inflation, years of inflation-busting increases mean that the price of a Three Bridges to London season ticket has grown by 58% during the period the Conservatives have been running the Department for Transport.

At a time when Crawley households are already struggling with the rising cost of living, it’s an increase many families really cannot afford. Coupled with the loss of ticket offices, removal of conductors and general reductions in the quality and punctuality of service, most residents are left wondering where their money is going.

Labour would reform our transport networks, so they work for the people and communities who rely on them and ensure they are fit-for-purpose for the economy of the future – with investment spread more evenly across the country and working with rail workers, rather than against them.