South Devon’s MP, Caroline Voaden has urged for rail fares to be frozen after they rose by 4.6 per cent on Sunday March 2.

The cost of an annual season ticket from Totnes to Paddington for a person travelling 5 or more days a week has risen to nearly £20,000.

It follows ticket price rises of 3.8 per cent in 2022, 5.9 per cent in 2023, and 4.9 per cent in 2024.

Lib Dem MP Caroline Voaden said that people in South Devon should not be paying more for a service that is “simply not working” after years of Conservative Party neglect and mismanagement.

Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon, Caroline Voaden said: “Dealing with a fare rise is hard even when a service runs well, but to see prices increase by nearly 5 per cent for a service with serious issues is disgraceful.

“Years of Conservative neglect and mismanagement have forced rail users to suffer endless delays as they just try to go about their everyday lives. This pay rise is a slap in the face for those who often have to stand for the entire 3-hour journey from Totnes to Paddington, trains that often have no hot drinks, have consistently poor wifi, and are subject to delays and cancellations.

The rail works at Old Oak Common are set to disrupt this service considerably for the next ten years, so it's outrageous that passengers will be asked to pay even more for a service that will see major disruptions over this time.

“Until the Old Oak Common works are complete we should see no new fare rises - passengers should not have to pay more for a service that is not delivering.”