TSSA leader calls for end to rising fares
Thursday 14 March 2013
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EmailThe leader of rail union TSSA urged the government to scrap annual inflation-busting fare increases today after new figures showed passenger numbers continuing to rise.
Manuel Cortes spoke out after figures showed that more than 385 million passenger journeys were made in the period October-December 2012 - a 14m increase on the same period in 2011 according to the Office of Rail Regulation.
Passenger revenue in October-December 2012 also reached £1.96 billion - an 8.3 per cent increase compared with the same period a year earlier.
This is the highest recorded level of revenue generated within any three-month period, but Mr Cortes pointed out that the last quarterly figure of £1.96bn did not include January's average 4.2 per cent increase.
"When this is added, we will see passengers paying out over £2bn a quarter to travel on the most expensive network in Europe," he said.
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