Rail passenger anger at 145% rise

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A rail group has said it is "shocked" some passengers using two morning commuter services from a Leicestershire town will face a 145% price rise.

New rules on travelcards from Market Harborough to London St Pancras will mean daily tickets between 0800 and 0900 costing £92 rather than £37.50.

The Harborough Rail Users Group said the move would hit part-time workers.

East Midlands Trains said the idea was was to bring weekday fares in line with other stations such as Leicester.

Steve Jones, chairman of Harborough Rail Users Group, said: "My immediate reaction is shock, there is no other word for it."

National prices

He added: "For the people catching these trains, who have built their working lives around them, this is a massive increase.

"People have said they are outraged - they said to me, 'What choice do I have if I have to be in work at a certain time?'

"Do they arrive late? Do they get a new job? Do they move? Lots of people have part time jobs and have had this rise force on them with very little notice."

For those travelling three or more times a week, he said, it would be cheaper to buy a full season ticket.

East Midlands Trains said a historical discrepancy between the tickets from Market Harborough and those from nearby Leicester, which currently cost £110, should be removed.

A spokesman said: "East Midlands Trains is making some changes to its One Day Travelcard fares to bring those tickets into line with the National Rail structure and ensure greater consistency with fares offered from other stations.

"The main effect of the change is to bring stations south of Leicester into line with other stations on our network. As a result, some passengers will have to travel later in order to continue to benefit from the current fares."