Govt must freeze rail fares to prevent Brexit price hike

UK rail fares will rise by 3.4% in January, the largest increase for five years, due to rising inflation since the Brexit vote. The cost of annual season tickets on some commuter trains has now risen above £5000. For example, Crowhurst in East Sussex to St. Pancras is now £5,130. Commuters in Wales will also see painful price hikes. Many travel to work in Cardiff from Neath and will be hit by a £56 increase. The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to freeze fares to help hard-pressed commuters. Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Jenny Randerson commented: "Hard-pressed commuters are being stung with Brexit rail fare hikes as a result of soaring inflation. “Rail passengers in Britain should not have to pay the price for government incompetence in Brussels. “It’s time the government froze fares to help people struggling with rising costs and lower wages. “Commuters waiting in the cold on the platform in January deserve better than paying through the nose for unreliable, overcrowded trains.”