Train commuters in England will be subject to rail fare rises of at least eight per cent next year as inflation rates remain high.
The fare increase is part of what the government says is a long-term plan to reduce the cost of running the railways to the taxpayer.
Minister for Transport, Philip Hammond, said the decision was not a popular one "but I hope passengers will appreciate the improvements it allows us to make."
However a number of campaigners and MPs have criticised the fare hikes, saying it will hit consumers already struggling with soaring energy costs and household costs.
Alexandra Woodsworth, Campaign for Better Transport’s public transport campaigner, said: “These punitive fare rises deal a fresh blow to commuters already facing the financial crunch of rising costs combined with frozen wages.
"We need affordable rail travel – not only to give passengers a fair deal, but to protect the economic health of our
major cities, and to address the urgent imperative to cut carbon emissions."
What are your views? Do you think the current financial climate justifies such a rise and do you think the service will improve as a result?