MEPs clash on rail fares

TWO Oldham Euro-MPs are at loggerheads over claims that EU regulations could force up rail fares by 50 per cent.

The proposals, which also include establishing a single European railway area, would hand additional powers to Brussels to get involved with the running of the UK’s rail networks.

UKIP’s Paul Nuttall claims that the proposed new rules would lead to a colossal increase in fares.

But Liberal Democrat Chris Davies says Mr Nuttall’s words are “complete nonsense and an utter distortion of the truth”.

A recommendation by the European Commission that unjustified subsidies for transport should be eliminated is the basis for UKIP’s claims.

Mr Nuttall said: “New regulations from Brussels would lead to the creation of a user pays system where passengers would be forced to incur the full cost of rail travel.

“Government subsidy of rail travel would come to an end as a result of the proposed rules which would plunge our railways into crisis. And they would force more cars on to our already congested roads.

“More and more people would stop using our railways and the Government still wants to waste billions of pounds on High Speed Rail 2.”

But Mr Davies said that rail subsidies were justified on environmental, social and transport-policy grounds and that Brussels would make no attempt to stop them.

He said: “Britain already has the highest rail fares in Europe but that’s because of decisions taken in London, not in Brussels.

“EU policy is to encourage more people to travel by train and I am disgusted by the distortions and deceptions practised by UKIP to twist the truth.”