Campaigners call for public ownership as fares rise nearly three times faster than wages
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Campaigners gathered at over 30 stations across England and Scotland yesterday (August 18), from London Waterloo to Glasgow Central, to protest another rise in rail fares and to call for an affordable railway under public ownership. Members of rail unions, campaigning groups and others came together as the inflation figure used to calculate the annual rise in regulated rail fares was announced.
Action for Rail published new analysis yesterday revealing that rail fares for season tickets, and other regulated fares, have risen nearly three times faster than wages over the last five years. The government has announced plans to cap rises in regulated fares at the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation for this parliament. But the Department for Transport’s own figures reveal the cost of the cap to taxpayers will be £700m!
Research commissioned by Action for Rail earlier this year showed that public ownership could save £1.5bn over the next five years, with savings passed on to passengers and taxpayers – season tickets alone could be 10 per cent cheaper by 2017! A third of the savings (£520m) would come from recouping the money private train companies pay in dividends to their shareholders.
Here is a selection of photos from the day:








Rail privatisation – ‘the economics of the madhouse’ – BBC Radio 4 Today, interview with Paul Nowak, TUC Assistant General Secretary
Rail fares to rise by 1% in January – BBC News
Unions protest as rail fares rise three times faster than wages over five years – The Guardian
Rail fares forecast to rise 1% after latest inflation data, The Guardian
Rail fares have risen by 25% since 2010 – Left Foot Forward
Rail fares rise ‘three times faster’ than wages, Sky News
Fares rise three times faster than wages – Morning Star
Report claims train commuters left ‘ out of pocket’ – Financial Times
Rail fares will rise 1% in January, Financial Times
Rail fares rise leaves commuters ‘out of pocket’, Manchester Evening News
The great train robbery – fares rise three times faster than wages – The Daily Express
Train passengers pay price of investment with their rail fares – Western Daily Press
Rail fares to rise by 1% – ITV News
Rail fare hikes ‘leave wages behind’ – Yorkshire Evening Post
Train fares rise ‘three times faster than wages’ over five years – London24
Commuters count cost as rail fare rise of one per cent announced – Oxford Mail