Ely commuters protest over ‘eye-watering’ £5,000 season ticket to London after New Year price hike

Ely commuters have returned to work sour-faced this morning after finding out their season ticket to London has increased - topping the £5,000 barrier.

This is the first time the price has increased so much at one, and the season ticket price has climbed 32 per cent since 2010 making it £5,152.

Within eight years, the price of the Ely to London season ticket has risen two times faster than people’s earnings – forcing Britain’s rail commuters to spend up to five times more of their income than their European counterparts.

Alex Mayer, Labour MEP, joined campaigners outside Ely rail station to slam the New Year price hike.

Alex said: “It is time to stop the great Tory Train Robbery – the Government is failing passengers.

“Ely commuters have been hit again and again by eye-watering rail fare rises and we need to be encouraging people onto trains - not putting obstacles in the way.

“British commuters spend five times more on train travel than elsewhere in Europe.

“Labour would bring our railways into public ownership; this would mean capped fairs, more reliable services and more investment. It’s time to put passengers first not for profit.”

The Government has said the way fares were calculated was “under review”.

A spokesman told the BBC that they “carefully monitor how rail fares and average earnings change”.

Fares are going up by an average of 3.4 per cent - the largest increase for five years.