RAIL commuters in Rugby have faced the tenth highest fare increases in the country since 2010.
Research by the Labour Party showed season tickets for the Rugby to London Euston route had risen by £1,800 since the Conservatives came to power.
The figures were published after it was announced train fares in Britain would go up by an average of 3.4 per cent from January 2 – the biggest increase since 2013.
Debbie Bannigan, newly selected as Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Rugby, said the figures showed the Conservatives were ‘doing nothing for the people of Rugby’.
She said: “Mark Pawsey MP owes the people of Rugby an answer – why has his party taken no action on rail fares that have spiralled out of control? He is clearly not representing the needs of his constituents if he fails to condemn this disproportionate burden on them.
“We need public transport that works for the many, not the few – and that’s what a Labour government would do by bringing the railways back into public ownership.”
Rugby’s Conservative MP Mark Pawsey said he understood the pressure rail fares put on Rugby commuters, but also recognised operators needed to review fares annually.
He said: “I am pleased that increases in regulated fares have been less than inflation for four years running while at the same time there has been record investment in our rail services.
“On average, 97 per cent of every £1 of fares goes back into the railway and Rugby station has seen a number of improvements in recent years thanks to this investment, including a new bike hub to encourage cycling to the station.
“I regularly meet with Virgin Trains and Rugby Rail Users Group to ensure we continue to see the benefits of investment locally and will continue to do so.”
DEBBIE Bannigan was selected on Sunday (December 3) to stand as Labour’s parliamentary candidate at the next General Election.
Debbie lives in Rugby with her partner and two daughters. She is the former Chief Executive Officer of national drug and alcohol recovery charity Swanswell, is a qualified accountant, and holds a doctorate in business.
Debbie said: “I’m delighted to have been chosen. I’m proud to come from Rugby and it’s a huge honour to stand for Labour.
“We will be visiting every street to take Labour’s message to every home in Rugby. We will be knocking on doors, delivering leaflets, picking up the phone and delivering Labour’s message of change.”
