IMPENDING rail fare increases have been branded ‘an insult’ to passengers’ by a Wharfedale politician.
Rail ticket prices will rise by 3.1 per cent in January - something Kamran Hussain, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Leeds North West, says is unacceptable. He said: “People are paying over the odds for tickets despite not getting the service they pay for.
“It is frankly an insult to passengers to increase fares yet again. People deserve and demand better. There should be an immediate freeze on fares until the Government publish their review and fix the state of our railways.”
MP Alex Sobel (Lab, Leeds North West) also condemned the increase: “The price rises have been staggering and even more appalling when you consider the standard of service. A Labour Government would take rail back into public ownership, a move which has already been proven a success on the East Coast mainline.
“Rail is vital to our efforts to create a multi-modal transport system that works for everyone. High prices are a huge barrier to that aim.”
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