Plans to increase rail fares by more than three per cent cannot be justified according to Hastings MP Amber Rudd who says she will be writing to Secretary of State at the Department for Transport with her concerns.

It was confirmed earlier this week that rail fares would increase by up to 3.2 per cent in January meaning the cost of some season tickets will rise by hundreds of pounds. Rail companies claim the increases are “underpinning a once-in-a-generation investment” in the railways network.

Commuters and campaigners had called for fares to be frozen in recognition of the chaos on the network this year and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said the fare increases are “an insult to everyone who has suffered from the chaos on Britain’s railways”.

Ms Rudd, MP for Hastings and Rye says the news of the planned increases is ‘not welcome’: “As a regular user of rail services in our area, I have experienced first-hand the severe delays on the Marshlink line this year. This combined with the change in timetable means that this increase cannot be justified for commuters who currently pay over £7,000 for a season ticket.”

“It is not fair that the burden of investment cost should fall on the passenger who has experienced an unreliable and increasingly expensive service. I have received several complaints from local residents regarding rail services and their value for money which is why I will be writing to the Secretary of State at the Department for Transport with my concerns.”