Protests at annual rail fare rise outside Norwich station

Rail fares rise today by an average of 4pc across the Greater Anglia network.

The rises could have been steeper but for an intervention by the Government to limit the regulated fare rise to inflation plus 1pc, rather than the planned inflation plus 3pc increase.

But members of the Green Party gathering at Norwich station this morning said the rise was too steep and have demanded rail fares be reduced to an affordable level.

They also called for public ownership of the railways and cuts to carbon emissions through more rail travel.

Leaflets were being handed out asking passengers to take action by tweeting their complaints about fare rises to @transportgovuk using the hashtags #farefail #railfail.

They are also are being asked to email their MP to complain by visiting www.farefail.org.

Rupert Read, from the Green Party, said: 'Back in October the coalition government capped the latest rail fare rise at 4.2 percent in order to defuse anger at the 6 percent rise it had planned to allow.

'That was trumpeted by the likes of Transport Minister Norman Baker as a fair deal for passengers.

'But it's nothing of the sort because even with that reduction, UK train travellers will still be paying some of the highest rail fares anywhere in Europe.

'Yet we are still very far from achieving the kind of efficient, truly integrated public transport system which would benefit us all.'

The price changes mean the price of a peak Anytime return ticket from Norwich to London has climbed 9.2pc, from �98.60 to �107.70. The price of an annual season ticket from Norwich to London will rise from �6,900 to �7,184.

•Changes to season ticket prices

Norwich-Liverpool Street: From �6,900 to �7,184.

Norwich-Cambridge: �3,900 to �4,064.

Diss-Liverpool Street: From �6,420 to �6,684.

Thetford-Liverpool St: From �6,020 to �6,268

King's Lynn-King's Cross: From �4,980 to �5,180

Downham Market-King's Cross: From �4,724 to �4,920

Ely-London: From �4,408 to �4,508