Shadow transport secretary: Government should rethink fare increases

Maria Eagle MP, Labour's shadow transport secretary, calls on government to rethink fare increases:

"The Tory-led government is totally out of touch with the cost of living crisis facing commuters and fails to understand how these eye-watering rail fare rises will add to the burden on families. The cost of getting to work is for many people the biggest single item in the monthly budget, bigger than mortgage payments and bigger than rent.

"These fare rises squeezing commuters are the direct consequence of the Tory-led government's decision to cut too far and too fast, and travellers are having to pay more to plug the gap in the transport budget. With train fares set to rise four times faster than wages in the next year, ministers should think again and give commuters a break."