Freeze rail fares - city Lib Dems back national party's call for action on eye-watering train ticket prices

Plymouth Liberal Democrats are backing national Lib Dem calls for the Government to freeze rail fares, as today's rising inflation statistics suggest rail fares are set to rise by 5.8% next year.

Commenting, Plymouth Liberal Democrat councillor Dylan Tippetts said, “Rail fares are absolutely eye-watering. A so-called 'cheap rates' restricted ticket from Plymouth to London Paddington and back costs £131.40. To get a convenient 'anytime' return then it's an incredible £299. I just checked and I could buy a return flight from Exeter to Cyprus for that - with spending money left over!

“We have lost Plymouth City Airport. We aren't connected up to the motorway network. If we want to attract business and investment and jobs to our city, we need a reliable, fast, affordable rail link to the capital.

“The fuel duty that drivers pay when they fill up the tank has been frozen now for over a decade, yet rail fares go up and up and up relentlessly. The Government needs to help rail passengers out and freeze rail fares, as it has done with fuel duty. That'd be good for people's pockets, good for the city and for attracting visitors and business people, and good for the environment too.”

Cllr Tippetts is also challenging Labour’s MP for Sutton and Devonport, Luke Pollard, to back the Liberal Democrat calls for a rail fare freeze, after the MP slammed rises when he was in opposition.

He said, “When Labour were in opposition, Luke Pollard slammed a 3.8% fare rise. He tweeted that local people were ‘being priced off the railways’ because of Conservative fare hikes. Now, Keir Starmer's Labour are in power, it's only getting worse. Our city’s two Labour MPs have the power to do something about it, not just tweet about it. So, will they? I hope they do, by supporting Lib Dem calls for a rail fare freeze.”

Rises in rail fares are usually calculated by adding 1% onto July's retail prices index (RPI) rate of inflation, which was today revealed to be 4.8%. The Government has not yet confirmed by how much it will increase next year's regulated rail fares but they would rise by 5.8% if ministers follow the normal pattern.