Thank you to all those who have contacted me about public transport fares.

I am extremely concerned about the decline of our public transport system, with record delays, overcrowding, and routes and services cut week on week. I share your concerns that over the last decade, we have seen public transport fares rise, while wages across the UK have stalled and household budgets have been squeezed by the cost of living crisis. Furthermore, rail fares are set to rise again by a near-record 5.9% in March.

The Government recently announced a number of reforms to rail services, including trials of demand-based pricing and replacing return tickets with single-leg fares. Despite this, regardless of the type of ticket, passengers are paying more for less under our broken rail system. We are seeing more cancelled services than ever, while failing operators continue to be handed millions in taxpayers’ money.

I believe that what we need is a rail system that serves the public interest. This includes bringing out railways back into public ownership as contracts expire. This could be a once-in-a-century chance to transform opportunity across the whole country, rebalance our economy, and take millions of cars off the roads.

I am also concerned that almost one in ten bus services were cut in England last year. Now, with the bus recovery funding due to finish at the end of March and no Government announcement forthcoming, there is an increasingly small window to avoid bus services being slashed further across England. The Confederation of Passenger Transport has warned that a reduction of Government funding in April could lead to a nationwide 10-15% reduction in bus services. The Government must give operators the certainty they need on the future of the grant.

We need to fix the broken bus system by giving communities the power to set bus routes and fares and put the public back in control of the essential public transport they depend upon. We also need to end the ideological ban on communities establishing their own municipal bus companies.

I want to see a public transport system were lower fares and more reliable services help reverse the spiral of decline – one that can deliver economic, social and climate justice.

Thank you once again for all those who have written to me on this key issue.