Rail fare hikes could cost Whitchurch commuters hundreds

The proposed ticket price increase of 5.8 per cent would see regular travellers between Whitchurch and Manchester forking out an additional £267 annually, bringing the season ticket cost to £4,883.

Those commuting to Crewe could also see their season ticket price increase by £121, while day trippers to London may face an additional £18 on an already hefty Anytime Day Return fare of £314.

These potential increases have sparked concern from Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, who has labelled the proposed fare hikes as a 'slap in the face' for travellers burdened with expensive tickets and unreliable services.

Newly released figures indicate that fares could rise by 5.8 per cent next year if the Government chooses to increase fares in line with July's Retail Prices Index (RPI).

The regular price increases, which apply to regulated fares set by the Government, are usually enforced at the rate of the RPI of the previous July plus 1 per cent.

The RPI this year was 4.8 per cent.

Non-regulated fares, for tickets other than season tickets, are set by the train companies and are likely to follow the same rate increase set for regulated fares.

These increases typically come into effect in the following April.

North Shropshire MP, Ms Morgan, said: "Increasing rail fares now would be nothing other than a slap in the face.

"At a time of rising cancellations and in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, commuters shouldn’t have to fork out more and receive less.

"Commuters deserve better than just the same raw deal given under new management.

"Increasing fares is a false economy that will only drive down passengers and revenue in the long run."

This comes as the MP has been consistently campaigning for step-free access at Whitchurch station, and amid poor public transport links for the area that leave residents isolated.

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Currently, train travellers using Whitchurch station who can’t climb the steps to cross the platform, must board a train going north to Wrenbury, which has step-free access, and change there to come back through Whitchurch for a journey south.

Ms Morgan added: "It’s high time rail users in North Shropshire had a service they can rely on and are given a fair deal on the cost of train travel.

"That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to do more to get more people onto trains, and to freeze rail fares just as has been done for fuel duty for several years."