Rail passengers threaten fare protests But under current Government spending plans, fares will rise by three per cent above inflation in both 2013 and 2014. Last week the Campaign produced research which showed that commuters in Britain were paying up to 10 times as much to get to work than some of their continental counterparts. "We already have the most expensive fares in Europe," said Sophie Allan from the Campaign. An affordable rail network helps to keep congestion down, reduces pollution, and supports the economy. The Campaign has set up a website, http://www.farefail.org, for supporters to follow if they wish to join in the protest. Maria Eagle, Labour's Transport spokesman, threw the party's weight behind the campaign with a pledge that the party would not raise fares by more than one per cent above inflation if it returned to power. She said the fare increases showed that the Government had "sided with train operators" against commuters. Life is already tough enough for families and commuters struggling with the increasing cost of living. But many commuters are in for an unwelcome New Year surprise this week when they discover that the price of their rail ticket has risen by much more than George Osborne promised. Instead of price rises being limited to one per cent above inflation, some of the most popular commuter routes will see the cost of a season ticket soar by hundreds of pounds. Other measures include a single definition of "peak and off-peak": to prevent unwitting passengers being paying extra charges for having the "wrong" ticket. The party also wants to bring in a "right to the cheapest ticket" - which would force train firms to advertise the lowest price for journeys, and for passengers to receive a refund if they do not get it. But Theresa Villers, the rail minister, attacked what she described as an unfunded spending commitment from the Opposition. We have already limited the fare increase this year to help rail passengers. But we also have to clear up Labour's deficit. Labour's proposal to spend more and more is not the answer. This latest statement is further evidence that when it comes to dealing with the deficit, Labour just don't get it. The long term sustainable solution to address passengers' concerns is to reduce the high cost of running the railways. That is why the Coalition is committed to a major reform programme to improve the value for money offered by the nation's railways.