Rail fare hike for Dacorum commuters slammed as '˜eye-watering' by councillors

It was revealed last week that train fares for Dacorum commuters will go up by 1.9 per cent from January 2.

That means the cost of a season ticket for Hemel Hempstead commuters travelling to London Zones 1-6 will increase by £86, from £4,456 to £4,540.

The same season ticket for Berkhamsted commuters will increase by £88 to £4,732 and it will soon cost £5,012 to travel to and from Tring – an increase of £92.

A spokesman for the Hemel Hempstead Labour Party said: “Rail fares between Hemel Hempstead and London Euston have increased by an eye-watering 23.5 per cent since the Conservatives came to power in 2010 – while wage increases have been frozen in real terms.

“At the same time, the service has got worse with short-format trains becoming an almost daily event with commuters packed into rickety old carriages like cattle while fat dividends continued to be paid to shareholders.”

The train fare increase covers regulated fares such as season tickets and unregulated fares such as off-peak leisure tickets.

Labour councillors say the average UK wage has fallen by 0.1 per cent since October 2015.

Rail Minister, Paul Maynard MP, said: “Wages are growing faster than train ticket prices thanks to action by the Government, and our commitment to cap regulated fares in line with inflation will save annual season ticket holders £425 on average in the five years to 2020.

“We are investing over £40billion into our railways to improve services and provide passengers with better trains that are faster and more comfortable.”