Rail fares in England are set to freeze for the first time in 30 years thanks to the influence of one Swindon MP who now hopes to improve the town's rail services to nearby cities such as Oxford.
According to South Swindon MP Heidi Alexander, who is also Secretary of State for Transport, stopping the "relentless" rise of train fares was a priority to help "hardworking families still struggling with the cost of living."
The MP met with councillors and members of the media outside her hometown railway station in Swindon on Monday morning, January 5, to celebrate the price freeze.
She hopes it will not only benefit commuters nationwide, but also help boost Swindon's connectivity with nearby cities like London and Oxford.
"In the last couple of years, fares have gone up by inflation plus one per cent normally, and obviously that puts a lot of burden on household budgets," she told the Swindon Advertiser.
"We know that hardworking families are still struggling with the cost of living.
"That's why we have decided to freeze rail fares for a year, and that applies for people who have got season tickets, perhaps if you're travelling from Swindon to London three times a week.
"It also applies to peak returns and off-peak returns between big towns and cities in England.
"It's a really historic moment. Between 2010 and 2024, there were relentless fare hikes, so I do think this is going to make a real difference to people."
The move, which is expected to save commuters travelling on more expensive routes over 300 GBP per year, comes as part of the Chancellor’s budget that looks to cut national debt.
It'll form part of the Government’s plans to rebuild its publicly owned Great British Railway, along with introducing tap in tap out digital ticketing and faster WiFi.
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Explaining her own personal connection to the railway, MP Heidi Alexander added: "Swindon is obviously a proud railway town. My dad was an electrical apprentice and the railways are really important to Swindon.
"I think it is part of what makes our town such an attractive location for businesses to invest and people to live here because it's really easy to get around.
"The work that Swindon Borough Council is doing is really important. We've got the new Fleming Way facility which looks fantastic, although there's obviously a lot of work that still needs to be done to regenerate our town centre."
Looking forward, the Swindon MP hopes to do more to improve rail services to nearby cities such as Oxford, with a focus on improving Swindon's connectivity.
Currently, a trial service runs between Swindon and Oxford on weekends only.
"That's something that I'd like to see whether we could do more to give us better connections to cities like Oxford, and so I think the affordability of fares is key," she told the Adver.
"People are travelling more for leisure. I think making those family days out a little bit more affordable for people is going to be welcomed by people in Swindon."
Reacting to the price freeze, which will remain in place until 2027, one Swindon commuter at the station told the Adver: "I mean, it's great news, isn't it?
"I don't see why anyone would complain and it's got to be a step in the right direction.
"I do hope that the next move will be to eventually lower the prices because they are ridiculously high right now and anyone who uses the trains will tell you that.
"But I guess knowing it's not going up is a small relief for sure."
Another railway user added: "It's about time really. Public transport needs to be prioritised."
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