COMMUTERS from Wharfedale have been presented with plans to cap rail fares.

Labour Party supporters from Wharfedale and Otley joined a national day of action by rail users on Wednesday, January 2 by greeting passengers at Menston train station with details of the party's plans.

Labour wants to cap rail fares and bring the railways back into national ownership in a bid to improve services.

The party says its national analysis of more than 180 routes found that commuters are now paying an average £786 more for their annual season ticket than when the Conservative Party came to power in 2010.

Labour's city council candidate for Otley and Yeadon, Elliot Nathan, was among those handing out leaflets at Menston station. He said: "Anyone who uses the trains to get to work will be hard hit by the fare increases, which average 3.1 per cent across the country.

"A monthly season ticket between Leeds and Bradford now costs £3 more than it did last month."

"Although the Wharfedale line from Ilkley to Leeds is a bit more reliable than some, passengers tell me the connections between the Wharfedale Line and Airedale Line are very unreliable, as are the bus links to meet local trains with little or no connecting services later in the evening."

Mr Nathan would like to see affordable 'through-ticketing' introduced for local buses and trains, with reliable regular buses from Otley in place to meet trains at Menston station, and buses from Yeadon to do likewise at Guiseley station.

He added: "You can’t achieve an efficient rail or bus network, let alone integrate both of them, when providers are competing with each other along the same routes.

"Giving Menston passengers information about Labour’s national plans to cap fares and properly invest in the rail network is one small step forward.

"In the long term, bringing train and bus services back into public ownership with proper investment to create a cheap, integrated public transport system would also reduce traffic congestion and air pollution."