Rail travellers in St Albans heading back to work early January are being urged to protest against the latest round of rail fare increases.

Green Party candidates in the 2014 Euro elections will be leading rush-hour protests outside their local stations against the 3.1 per cent fare increases and inviting travellers to write to their MPs about it.

Rail fares in this country remain among the highest in Europe.

In St Alban’s there will be a protest beginning at 7am on January 2 outside the station, led by Green MEP-candidate Jill Mills.

Rupert Read said: “The rise in the price of rail tickets continues to outstrip the rise in wages. Even though George Osborne claimed headlines by cutting the expected rise by 1 per cent, many travellers will still find themselves paying more overall under the flex system which allows train companies to increase some fares if they reduce others.

“Our mish-mash of privately owned railways charge some of the highest fares in Europe. Interestingly, though, on East Coast, the only rail company in public hands, the unregulated fares that they control are only going up by average 0.8 per cent, in other words a real terms cut.”

For more information contact Jill Mills on 07795 370759.