OLDHAM MP Debbie Abrahams joined members of the public campaigning against the biggest rise in rail fares in five years on Tuesday.

Mrs Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, took part in the protest at Greenfield Station after ticket prices were raised by an average of 3.4 per cent

The Labour MP, who has made lobbying for fairer trans-Pennine train fares as one of her top ten constituency priorities, said: “Passengers using Greenfield Station, and across the country, have faced unacceptably high fare rises since 2010 under this Tory government.

“Fares have risen by 32% since the Tories came to power.

“On top of this, in the last couple of years, passenger numbers at Greenfield have increased by nearly 8%.

“Labour would bring our railways into public ownership meaning fares would be capped; services would be better and more reliable; and there would be investment in our railways.

“I have regular contact from constituents raising concerns about the low number of trains running each hour, the frequent overcrowding, the quality of the rolling stock and the ever increasing cost of tickets."

She added that this year commuters will also face longer waits between peak services from Greenfield Station due to revised timetables and a re-routing to Manchester Piccadilly (instead of Manchester Victoria and Salford).

Mrs Abrahams continued: “I am contacted on a daily basis about train delays or cancellations of trains without any notice. It is just not good enough.

“There are also the ongoing issues about the station’s lack of accessibility to people with mobility issues, such as wheelchair users and parents with small children.

“It is unacceptable given that Greenfield has seen the largest percentage increase in usage of any station between Manchester, Huddersfield and Leeds that the Government continues to drag its feet on improving access.

“Rail passengers were always told that higher fares were necessary to fund investment, but vital projects have been delayed by years and essential maintenance works have been put on hold.

“The truth is that our heavily fragmented railways mean that it takes years longer and costs much than it should to deliver basic improvements. The railways need reforms that could be implemented if public ownership was extended to passenger services, but the Tories are persisting with a failed model for purely ideological reasons.”

The Department of Transport has said they are currently" investing in the biggest modernisation of our railways since the Victorian times to improve services for passengers" with fare prices under constant review.

"The price rises for this year are capped in line with inflation, with 97p out of every £1 paid going back into the railway," a spokesperson said.