George Osborne announces continued cap on rail fares
RAIL fare rises will be pegged to 2.5 per cent next January after Chancellor George Osborne revealed he would knock one per cent off inflation for the second year running.
The move, which will cost around £100million, is expected to save 25,000 season ticket holders £75 in 2015.
This is a savage kick in the teeth for people already struggling with low pay and austerity
However the news comes as some commuters face a 117 per cent increase from today as Northern Rail axe some off-peak fares.
Commercial director Richard Allan insisted: “The majority of customers will be unaffected.”
But RMT union chief Mick Cash said: “This is a savage kick in the teeth for people already struggling with low pay and austerity.”
Announcing January’s cap, Mr Osborne also scrapped the “flex” system under which fares can be raised 2 per cent above average. He said: “Support for hard-working taxpayers is at the heart of our economic plan.