Rail fare increases affecting Cheshire are an insult to hard-pressed commuters, the TUC believes.

The comments came as the Government announced another year of what the TUC describes as ‘inflation-busting increases for season ticket holders’.

Commenting on this week’s announcement of rail fare increases of up to 3.2%, TUC north west regional secretary Lynn Collins said: “This is an insult to commuters across the region.

“After a year of delays, cancellations and overcrowded trains the last thing they deserve is another wage-busting fare hike.

“It’s time to bring services back under public ownership. This would free up money to lower ticket prices and allow for much-needed investment in our railways including keeping the guards on our trains.

“It’s quite a strange logic that workers are expected to pay more when they have been getting less of a service than before.”

Lynn Collins

For season ticket holders the TUC suggests the cost of an annual Chester to Liverpool ticket will rise from £1,368 to £1,412, an increase of £44.

Chester to Manchester will rise from £3,012 to £3,108, a projected increase of £96 while Chester to Crewe could increase from £1,960 to £2,023, a £63 increase.

For any intrepid commuters to the capital the present cost of an annual ticket would increase from £13,688 to £14,126, an additional £438.

The increases follow a TUC analysis earlier this week which is said to have shown that fares have risen at more than twice the speed of wages since 2008.

The figures show that rail fares have grown by 42% over the past 10 years while nominal weekly earnings have only risen by 18% it is suggested.

The Chronicle’s sister paper the Mirror reports the Department for Transport as saying: “Any increase is unwelcome but it is not fair to ask people who do not use trains to pay more for those who do.”

The increases take effect in January.

The mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool have written to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling demanding a freeze on Northern and TransPennine rail fares.

They say: “Over the past few months travelling by train in the north has become a lottery, where passengers turn up at stations with no idea if there will be a train or whether they will arrive at their destination on time.

“This crisis has caused real damage to the north – the current estimate is that at least £38m has been lost from the economy – and has led to many commuters turning their backs on using the train and seeking other means of getting around.”