Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert is due to meet with Arriva Trains Wales bosses this month to discuss fare prices on the Rhymney line.
Mr Cuthbert has been concerned with the above inflation increases in rail travel.
In October he met with Edwina Hart, Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science to discuss the cost of rail travel.
He said: “The cost of rail travel is a real issue for my constituents.
“It can really eat into a significant portion of people’s take home pay leaving less money available for everyday items. This is something I’ll be explaining when I meet with Arriva.”
The Welsh Government recently announced next year’s increases for season tickets will be held below inflation and also reduced the maximum allowable increase of regulated fares from 9.1% to 6.1%.
Rail fares go beyond the arithmetic of whether or not a commuter has money over for other items. All European governments want to reduce car use but there is a direct correlation between public transport fare levels and road congestion.
There is no way on earth that road congestion will be reduced until public transport is much cheaper, reducing the fare increases to 6.1% is nowhere near adequate. I was in London last October and was able to travel around all day and return to my bed and breakfast from the birthday party I attended for the sum of £8. The last trip was by bus at gone one o' clock in the morning! Contrat this with a return from Caerffili to Cardiff (off peak) of £6-40.
I have said it before and say it again, nationalise the whole of the rail network. Plenty of public money is ploughed into rail in any case and even if we have to spend a bit more I will consider it money well spent if the roads are unclogged and people can travel to work by rail without it crippling their domestic finances.
Let's predict how the meeting will go. Jeff will explain the social effects. Arriva will give a farcical justification and pretend to care. The meeting will end on a shake of the hand. Jeff will announce that it has been a huge success and that Arriva are listening. A few weeks later, Arriva increase fares once again. Progress indeed, Jeff…
I'm all for lower rail fares but Arriva Trains do not care about our back pockets or how their fares are crippling families. Arriva want to make as much money as possible.