Call for rail fares to be frozen amid fears Horsham commuters face £436 price hike

The call comes from Horsham Liberal Democrats who want fares frozen for the next five years.

They say that the government usually increases fares in line with the retail price index rate of inflation which reached nine per cent in July.

A spokesperson said: “That would cause the price of a season ticket from Horsham to London to jump by £436 in a single year, making a grand total of £5,380.

“The threatened rise comes despite repeated failures in service due to industrial action and the Government’s plans to close ticket offices at stations around the country. Our rail system is in chaos.”

The Lib Dems are also calling for a rethink over planned ticket office closures and for the Government to resolve all disputes so that passengers can

experience some kind of normal service again.

John Milne, Liberal Democrat spokesperson Horsham, said: “Liberal Democrats are fighting for a fair deal for local commuters and families who will be

left forking out even more for their train travel, right in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

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“Ministers cannot keep turning a blind eye to these problems. We’re being expected to pay more, but what we get in return is more delays, more cancellations and industrial disputes the government seems incapable of solving.

“At the very moment we should be making clean forms of transport cheaper, this Conservative Government is determined to make rail more expensive than ever before.”