Liberal Democrats will freeze rail fare increases in Medway saving commuters thousands of pounds 

The Liberal Democrats have announced they will freeze rail fare increases for Medway commuters and season ticket holders for the next five years, while fixing the broken fares and ticketing system.

A Liberal Democrat government would cancel the 2.8% rail fare increase planned for December 2018 and freeze commuter fares and season tickets for the entirety of the next five years.

These proposals would save season ticket holders from Medway to London thousands over the next five years . This policy is expected to cost approximately £1.6 billion.

The Liberal Democrats would also overhaul ticketing by simplifying the system, looking to create season tickets for part-time commuters and introducing early-bird fares. The party would ensure that all rail franchises apply delay repay compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more.

Graham Colley, Liberal Democrat candidate for Rochester and Strood said: "Under the Tories, Medway commuters have been catastrophically let down. People are paying way over the odds for what has often been an appalling service.

"The Liberal Democrats will build a brighter future by freezing fares from the Medway Towns to London for the next five years, saving local commuters thousands of pounds. We will properly invest in fixing our creaking rail network to improve capacity and reduce overcrowding, so Medway commuters are no longer treated like cattle.

"But this is about more than just providing more funding. We will also strip rail companies of franchises if they don't meet the standards expected of them, and develop new transport mutual companies to foster alternative competition."

A Liberal Democrat government would freeze regulated rail fares for the five years of the next parliament. Regulated fares are "standard class fares including saver returns, standard returns, off-peak fares between major cities and season tickets for most commuter journeys."^. These are set by government. We will cancel the planned rise due at the end of December 2019 and keep fares at their current level.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
Savings are based on predicted RPI increases through to 2024/5. The price of an annual season ticket from Medway to London is taken from National Rail here:https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/seasonticket/search

• Since 1995, passenger journeys have more than doubled from 735 million per year to 1.71 billion per year, however satisfaction is now at its lowest level in ten years. Last year saw chaos across the network after the Tory's failed implementation of a new timetable.
• The fare freeze will continue for the entirety of the next Parliament at a cost of £1.6 billion over the course of the Parliament.
• After the end of the freeze Liberal Democrats will change the inflation rise to be based on the CPI.
• A Liberal Democrat government will convert the rail network to ultra-low-emission technology (electric or hydrogen) by 2035.

• A Liberal Democrat government will open up the franchise bidding process to public sector companies, local or combined authorities, not-for-profits and mutuals.

Graham Colley

Graham Colley is the President of Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association.

He was educated at Nottingham High School, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and the College of Europe, Bruges. He has an MBA from City University (Cass) Business School and an LLM from University of Kent.

Whilst a student he helped Geraint Howells MP in Ceredigion.

After helping Simon Hughes election in the famous Bermondsey by-election, Graham became candidate in Mid-Kent in 1987 and 1992. He was a county councillor for Medway South.

Graham has been a lifelong European activist. He set up the Aberystwyth Group for Europe, whilst at university and was a youth officer in the 1975 Referendum.

Graham was number seven on the London list in the highly successful European Election campaign in May 2019, in which saw three Lib Dem candidates elected as MEPs.

A former Legal Aid lawyer in London and Chatham, he is now a solicitor in private practice in Rochester.