Green MP Caroline Lucas has called for the government to take the railways back into public hands after a TUC report found that train fares have risen twice as fast as wages since 2010.
Research by the TUC and the Action for Rail union campaign showed that fares have risen by 25% in the last six years, while average weekly earnings have grown by 12%.
Lucas said:
“These figures are totally unacceptable - but will not come as a surprise to many commuters who are seeing a huge chunk of their wages disappear into the coffers of private rail firms every month.
"Britain was once a world leader in transport thanks to our hugely successful railways, but today’s privatised system – characterised by poor services and some of the most expensive fares in Europe – is ripping off passengers, harming the economy and failing the environment. The government should look at the evidence and bring our railways back into public hands."
The findings come as the Government is set to announce another round of rail fare increases for the coming year, in line with inflation.
Lucas said: “It is particularly galling for commuters who have suffered appallingly poor service at the hands of Southern rail to be asked to cough up increasing amounts of money for the privilege. Southern fares should be frozen immediately, so passengers are not paying growing amounts for a deteriorating service.”