The midwinter will be bleaker today for millions of rail travellers, including thousands from Northamptonshire, as inflation-busting fare rises take effect.
From today, travellers to the capital from Northampton will start paying a fraction under £5,000 for their season ticket.
Regulated fares, which include season tickets, are increasing by an average of 4.2 per cent, with the overall average rise for all tickets being 3.9 per cent.
The rise follows a miserable few weeks for many commuters who have had to contend with floods, signal failures and, on some routes, staff shortages.
Last week, over-running engineering work led to serious over-crowding on some trains while London Midland, which serves Northampton, has had several weeks of problems and cancellations caused by driver shortages.
Campaign groups have pointed out today’s increase is the 10th successive above-inflation rise, with some rail season ticket holders seeing their fares rise by more than 50 per cent in the last 10 years.
Meanwhile, the TUC has said that fares have risen far faster than wages since the recession in 2008.
The average increase for rail passengers travelling between Northampton and London Euston will be 4.7 per cent, raising a season ticket from £4,756 to £4,980.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) said it recognised nobody liked paying more for their journey.
But it added that railway funding could only come from taxpayers or from passengers “and the Government’s policy remains that a bigger share must come from people who use the train”.
Transport Minister Norman Baker said the Government had reduced fare rises planned for January 2013 and January 2014 from RPI plus three per cent to RPI plus one per cent.
He added: “We are engaged in the biggest rail investment programme since the 19th century and it is only right that the passenger, as well as the taxpayer, contributes towards that.
“In the longer term, we are determined to reduce the cost of running the railways so that we can end the era of above-inflation fare rises.”
Labour highlighted the fact that some season tickets are allowed to rise by more than the 4.2 per cent average.
Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said: “David Cameron misled commuters when he promised to cap fare rises at one per cent above inflation.
“Many commuters have faced a nasty new year shock as they discover fares have gone up by as much as 9.2 per cent.
“The Government should come clean with commuters that this is a direct result of their decision to cave in to pressure from the private train companies to let them hike ticket prices beyond the so-called cap.”
Campaign for Better Transport chief executive Stephen Joseph said: “The impact of successive Government’s policies on rail fares is appalling.
“It’s truly shocking that we have deliberately made getting the train to work an extravagance that many struggle to afford. The time has come not just to stop the rises but to reduce fares.”
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “I understand the frustration felt by many commuters going back to work today. At a time when real wages are falling and household budgets are being squeezed, rail travellers are being forced to endure yet another year of inflation-busting fare increases.”
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