MPs protest rail fare hikes in UK

Conservative MPs in the UK have protested against planned rail fare hikes, due next January. The hikes are meant to fund rail improvements such as electrification and making better train coaches and are also guided by a rise in the Retail Price Index (RPI) which indicates the rate of inflation. The RPI rose by about 3.2% in July which has led to the plan to increase the fares. Another consideration in the proposed fare hike has been the government’s policy to bring down the cost of running rail services and making them less dependent on tax payer funding. The increase would allow rail companies to raise fares by an average of about 6.2%, and in some cases up to 11%. But the MPs have argued that the fare hikes would have a negative impact on the already stressed working class, deter them from working and harm economic growth as more people would go on welfare. Some workers have been spending almost all earnings just paying for a season ticket to get to jobs in London. Many MPs have demanded to put a permanent cap of 1% on annual rail fare hikes.