Rail fare rises take effect
Unions, campaigners, and the Labour Party have all attacked the Government as rail fare increases come into effect today.
Ticket prices have risen 3.9% on average across England, Wales, and Scotland, leading Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle to accuse the Government of "caving in" to train operators' demands.
The Government has defended the fare rises, arguing they are needed to pay for improvements to the network.
“I think in an ideal world we wouldn’t be having fare increases above inflation,” Transport minister Norman Baker told the Today programme.
“We’ve inherited a policy from the last government – the only difference between us and them is that we’ve embarked on the biggest investment programme since the 19th Century.”
But Ms Eagle said Mr Baker was being "slightly disingenuous" by claiming the fare rises would be reinvested in the network, and instead argued the train companies were "profiteering".