LABOUR’S Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Harlow and the Villages, has condemned the confirmation of the 3.2% train fares increase.

Laura McAlpine said: “The Government’s chaotic negligence of Britain’s railways are a total insult to passengers up and down the country.

“Passengers with a season ticket travelling from Harlow to London Liverpool Street have faced an increase of nearly £1000 since 2010. That’s a huge 36% – three times higher than the average rise in wages.

“Last year The BBC reported that the most expensive annual season ticket per mile travelled is Harlow Town to London Liverpool Street. It’s a disgrace that the people of Harlow and the Villages are being ripped off in this way and I am astounded that Robert Halfon is not out there campaigning for cheaper fares for his constituents.”

According to the organisation ‘We Own It’, 76% of the public want the railways to be in public ownership while only three in ten people trust the rail industry. Most of us believe the railways should be accountable to taxpayers rather than shareholders.

If our railway was run in public ownership, we’d save £1.2 billion a year, enough to fund an 18% cut in rail fares. Many of our train companies are publicly owned, but by other European countries, who make millions of pounds a year in dividends from their British operations. For example, Arriva is owned by German national rail company Deutsche Bahn and Abellio (who run the train services form Harlow to Liverpool Street) is owned by the Dutch.

Labour will take back control of our railways by bringing them into public ownership so they are run in the interests of passengers, not private profit.