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Today’s the Day to Have Your Say!

This January our train fares have increased by an average of 5.9% and are now the most expensive in Europe. No matter where you live around the country, there are three simple ways to get involved in today’s #FAREFAIL protests via Twitter, text and phone.

Tell George Osborne just how much your fare went up this year and why you are so angry:

• Tweet @hmtreasury #farefail #railfail
  Tweet #farefail
  
• or text FAREFAIL and your message to 88802
  (texts will cost your standard rate)
• or call the Treasury switchboard 020 7270 5000

Please take the time TODAY to spread the word about #FAREFAIL so we can deluge the Treasury and let them know exactly what we ALL think about their unfair fare increases!

Website: www.farefail.org
Twitter: @bringbackBR

Photo: Amy Scaife (taken at St Pancras at 8:30am on Tuesday 3 January 2012)

16:50 BBC Three Counties Radio
Interview with Ellie Harrison from Bring Back British Rail about the #FAREFAIL protests.

You may have heard the news that our train fares are about to increase by an average of ‎5.9% in January.

If you’re sick of being ripped-off by private train companies and by a government which wants to rid themselves of all responsibility for running our public transport system, then get ready to take action!

Bring Back British Rail is teaming up with Campaign for Better Transport, Climate Rush and Together for Transport to organise a national day of action on Tuesday 3 January to protest against these extortionate fare increases.

#FAREFAIL protests will be taking place online via text and Twitter as well as at major stations in London and elsewhere around the country from the morning of Tuesday 3 January 2012.

We’re keen to recruit people to come along and to help us spread the word. It doesn’t matter where you live, if you’d like to get involved, please email us with the subject ‘ACTIVIST’, sign up and order materials directly via the #FAREFAIL website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the updates:

Website: www.farefail.org
Email: info@bringbackbritishrail.org
Twitter: @bringbackBR

We’re very pleased to announce that our new t-shirts, enamel badges and rail card wallets are now available to buy in the merchandise section of this website:

www.bringbackbritishrail.org/merchandise

The perfect Christmas presents for pissed-off passengers! These are a fantastic way of spreading the word about the campaign and making your own views known. All proceeds from the sale of merchandise will help to fund campaign materials and activities in 2012.

The demonstration against train fare rises we held at Waterloo Station on Tuesday 16 August 2011 in collaboration with Campaign for Better Transport, Climate Rush, RMT, Together for Transport and TSSA. Photo: Robin Prime

07:37 BBC Radio London Breakfast Show
Interviews with Alexandra Woodsworth from Campaign for Better Transport and Ellie Harrison from Bring Back British Rail.

08:07 BBC Radio Kent Breakfast Show
Interviews with Alexandra Woodsworth from Campaign for Better Transport, Ellie Harrison from Bring Back British Rail and Theresa Villiers Transport Minister.

08:40 BBC Radio London Breakfast Show
Interview with Alexandra Woodsworth from Campaign for Better Transport and David Mapp from ATOC.

09:18 BBC Radio London Vanessa Show
Interviews with Theresa Villiers Transport Minister, Stephen Joseph from Campaign for Better Transport and Ellie Harrison from Bring Back British Rail.

Page 11 of London’s Evening Standard on Tuesday 16 August – the night of the demonstration at Waterloo. A massive plug for Bring Back British Rail!

“Rail fares are set to rise by 8 per cent in January, heaping yet more misery on passengers following reports that privatisation and fragmentation had needlessly cost the taxpayer £6.6 million extra since 1997.

New inflation figures pushed up the regulated fares, with July’s retail prices index rate of inflation used to determine the annual rise in January 2012 for regulated rail fares including season and saver tickets.

Campaigners launched a demonstration at Waterloo station in London today following news of the rise, coinciding with the rush hour.

Fair Fares Now activists handed out leaflets and spoke to season ticket holders who are likely to be hit hardest by the rise.

Rail union RMT president Alex Gordon told the Morning Star that the fair rise was “socially unsustainable” and that the union would be “upping the ante” at Parliament in October to call for public ownership of the railways.

Pressure group Bring Back British Rail founder Ellie Harrison said that the fare rise would spell misery for millions of ordinary people who use the railways.

She said that she founded the group after becoming a “pissed-off passenger” under privatisation and “wanted to do something about it.

“It’s about reminding people that we used to have public ownership of the railways and other industries. And that we can have it again,” she said.

Passing commuters agreed with Ms Harrison’s sentiments.

“An 8 per cent rise is not good news. I think the fares are already too high,” said Sharmaine Mackin, who had just travelled in to London from Bracknell in Berkshire.

But higher fares were only the tip of the iceberg for hard-up commuters who face the prospect of yet more money being bled out of the struggling rail network over the next 10 years.

A report commissioned by RMT has revealed that profit-taking and fragmentation costs were £883m in 2009 alone and more than £6.6 billion between 1997 and 2009.

The union predicted that profits to private rail companies could lose the railways £6.7bn over the next 10 years, while public subsidies are set to rise by 300 per cent.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “This independent report proves that privatisation is robbing our railways of £670m a year and RMT has calculated that this would equate to an annual 10 per cent cut in rail fares or free bus and rail travel for all children under the age 16.

“McNulty and the government are forcing through inflation-busting fare increases and savage cuts to maximise private train company profits. The whole policy of rail privatisation is exposed as an economic and social disaster.”

If you support the campaign, come down and join us!

Find the meeting place >
Invite your friends on Facebook >

www.fairfaresnow.org.uk