Rail fares up 66% since Crawley elected a Conservative MP

As commuters return to work this morning, they will be find themselves greeted once again by higher ticket prices, with the annual government-approved fare increase having taken place over the weekend.

While this year’s 4.9% price increase is roughly in-line with inflation, it comes after years of above-inflation fare increases under the Conservatives, which have resulted in the average season ticket from Crawley to London increasing by a whopping £1,841, an huge increase of 66% above 2010 levels.

Although the Department for Transport tries to hide behind the rail companies, they have ultimate control over rail fares and under their contract with Southern they receive all the fares directly, charging Southern a fixed-rate for running services. So, the rail company’s profit margin is essentially determined by how far they can cut their costs. As they don’t benefit from ticket sales, there is little reason to consider the impact upon customers.

As a result, to fund Department for Transport projects in other parts of the country, Crawley’s commuters under the Conservatives have experienced both record fare hikes and reductions in the quality of any aspect of service not explictly stated in the rail company’s contract.

Clearly this isn’t the way to run a modern rail system. It’s not just bad for commuters, it actively holds the UK’s economy back. We need to make rail work for the public again, which is why Labour last year re-committed to bringing rail back under the public’s control and delivering the investment in infrastructure we need for the rail network to once again be a thriving example to the world.