Train commuters hit by fares hike

Returning to work after the Christmas break is never easy – but getting there by rail is tougher still as commuters were hit with another fare rise.

The 2.7 per cent average increase comes after a year of delays, cancellations and overcrowding for passengers on some of the country’s busiest routes – a year when fewer than two-thirds of trains managed to arrive on time.

The Transport Secretary said he had begun to take action – with Northern Rail facing the potential loss of its franchise after years of poor performance.