Greens love the trains...but hate fare rises (From thisisoxfordshire)

Greens love the trains...but hate fare rises

10:30am Friday 15th February 2013 in News

POLITICIANS spent part of their Valentine’s Day outside Oxford Station professing their love for rail travel.

But yesterday they were also protesting against the year-on-year increases in fares which came in last month with season tickets in Oxfordshire increasing by up to 9.2 per cent.

City councillor David Williams, who is leader of the Green Party on Oxford City Council, was on the protest.

He said: “Rail fares have soared above inflation for the 10th year running. They have increased almost three times faster than wages and are now 26 per cent higher than before the recession. Is it any wonder we pay more than anywhere else in Europe?”

Association of Train Operating Companies spokesman Daniel Golding said: "We understand commuters don't like to pay more to travel to work. Successive governments have required train companies to increase the average price of season tickets every January since 2004 by more than inflation.

"This approach is to reduce the contribution taxpayers make to railway running costs and increase the share paid by passenger while sustaining investment in better stations, new trains and faster services."