What was worst was the arrogance of the announcement on BBC Breakfast TV.

He referred to commuters who ''hang around' the station waiting for the fist cheap train as if they were some form of low-life.

I for one will go back to my car rather than help such an obnoxious man get credit for increasing SWT profits.

Chris Bolter, Winchester, Hampshire

WHEN will the British Government realize that a national rail and bus service - maintained and run to the highest standard (something that was once the pride of British Rail), subsidized, and that covers every nook and cranny of the country is the ONLY efficient way to get the cars off the roads and to provide the public with a reliable, safe method of transport. Our European neighbours seem to manage such a service admirably - why can't we? The Government is failing the public miserably, adding dramatically to the CO2 emissions, and turning a blind eye to a situation that will soon become totally out of hand. WAKE UP!

Imogen Lathbury, Vienna, Austria

I am a commuter on SWT and it has become more and more crowded by the month!! The peak time trains don't have nearly enough carriages - it is a highly dangerous way to travel these days. However, I don't entirely blame SWT. A huge amount has to fall on the current Labour Government for making 'secret' deals with SWT. Presumably there was some sort of financial incentive for the Government to make these deals and these were obviously not to the benefit of the general public. Why am I not surprised??

S Healy, London,

You wonder why so many are moveing to europe, where the government want you use th trains not to rip you off as here.

Rusty, sidmouth, devon

As a result of the rail fares rise back in December I bought my first car. Initally I'd been put off doing so due to the demonising of hidden costs in car ownership as much has any attempt to be green.

I now would not going back to using trains willingly. Not only are they crap they are more expensive than running a car even with 'hidden costs' included!

Vi, Reading, UK

I can't believe it. The government spend thousands campaigning about saving the environment, put up taxes for car travel and supposedly want to encourage us all to use public transport!!!! Where's the logic in boosting prices so they are even more unaffordable?

It wouldn't be so bad if travelling by train was thus a comfortable, pleasurable experience, where you could do some work (attractive option for commuters, can't do that when you're driving a car) or read a book ( attractive for weeknd breakers- wind -down and relax) but NO.

My last 3..4... no more than that journeys have been spend squashed in the corridor between the loo and the door to the next carriage, where it seems that everyone on the train has a bladder problem and has to squeeze by to use the toilet at every available opportunity!

What happeed to safety regualations? I haven't even started on delays and bus replacement services yet! Give us a decent, affordable public transport system and we'll use it!

jo, oxford, UK

It is nice to see other Times readers with the same point of view as me - nationalise the railways. Then, go further - re-open or build lines to connect places logically, without the insane "hub-and-spoke" design (has anyone tried to get from Ludlow to Birmingham, for instance?). Increase differential taxation such that freight is cheaper to move long distances on the train than the roads. Then take bus companies out of private firms' hands, undoing another terrible Thatcher policy, and make the timetables fit with the trains. Insist on tram links in all towns of more than 250 000 people, with links to nearby towns. Subsidise public transport as they do in Europe, and introduce things that would tempt people to use the car less, such as car-transporter trains for long distances. Even I, an inveterate user of the car, might then be tempted, but not whilst it is both cheaper and quicker to use my Subaru to get to places!

Jeremy Wickins, Sheffield, UK

Railways may well have been privatised under the Tories, but the British public is still susidising them to an ever greater amount.

The NL Party came into power stating that they would not renationalise anything. This was a mistake. All national facilities should be brought back under the government wing. All they needed was decent managers, which is sadly lacking in this country. All they seem to want is excessive wages for little work and even less responsibility.

Public transport (ALL) should come back under governmental control. It would probably be better for the planet as well.

Jeremy Bell (Dinga), Martock, England

As if rail fares weren't, in general, expensive enough! Now we have companies abusing monopolies and not offering acceptable services to begin with!
Southwestern trains that I have used, have been generally clean and generally on time, but many other services that I have used have not been so (I remember that I complained several times to one train company whose service became so unreliable that I was forced to leave home half an hour ealier than necessary, just to arrive at work on time)
Surely, all price increases should be subject to control by the authorites for trains, and only possible if the service has met rigid criteria first (for time-keeping AND cleanliness of the trains and stations). One wouldn't accept a price increase in, for example, a restaurant, without a proven track record; why trains?

tim, Naples, Italy

It is rather stupid what they are doing here. COnsidering that 2012 olympia is on the way, the road and traffic and now even train system is a mess. How are they going to coope with the thousands of potential tourists that would want to come to London to watch the olympia? The government increases congestion charge to encourage the people to use public means of transportation, but the railway and underground is a mess! They always close down the whole line, and now they are raising fares for train tickets by 20%! I don't remember the last time that all the railway lines and underground lines are open and there are no problems with public transport anymore! HOw ridiculous!

Tina Tsang, London, UK

Labour need to go! This is just ridiculous. Its fine for people to earn good salaries for doing a job, but 100 million pounds for running one of the most expensive monopolies in the world!

This government keeps taking more and more tax and doing very little with it. Its all very disingenuous. They say they want to tax cars and roads more because its good for the environment - to encourage us to use public transport, but then encourage railways to become obscenely expensive as long as they get a backhander from those running the monopoly. Which of course they then waste on incompetent bureaucracy.

Soon we won't even be able to have a cigarette with our meal at a restaurant. I think Labours cunning plan is to get us all to stay at home, so that all those obscenely rich who buy their peerages can travel around in peace - without all us plebs ruining their Martinis....

Labour under Brown will surely be even worse - lets get rid of them now

Simon, Surrey,

Does £1.2Bn buy a peerage or just a knighthood?
Both are the same, give us your money and "you will be well looked after my son" nudge nudge, wink wink. Just between ourselves, of course

KentishJim, Maidstone, Kent

It is an appalling situation that the fares are rising yet again, yet the quality of service is at best 'adequate'. I use the train from Basingstoke to London offpeak and although I usually get a seat at times the attitude of staff has angered me. They can be either very helpful or just downright rude. Coming from a customer service background I have come away thinking 'Was he/she really that disinterested?!'
What other industry would get away with increasing their fares but still giving a poor quality service? At a time when the environment is a big issue, isn't actively making people use their cars out of sheer frustation a backward step.
The government needs to put the needs of the public before the profits of Brian Souter...how much money does one person need?!
This country is one of the richest and most innovative in the world and yet in some respects one of the most backward when it comes to real 'human' progress.

Jason, Basingstoke, UK

The goverment trys to encourage people to use public travel. The rail infrastructure in this country in poor, prices are way too high as they are and then these price hikes!!,

I think ill stick to using my car thankyou very much like so many people out there who have also considered using public travel. "ripp off britain", a few more years and ill be out of this mess for good.

Normal Joe, London,

One of the initial aims of introducing London congestion charge was to encourage passengers to use public transport. Now the congestion charge zone has been expanded and charges have been increased. Unfortunately passengers using public transport not only did not get any benefit but are exploited by some services like SWT. Can Mr K. Livingston give us an explanation please?

tom, london,

This illustrates just what a shockingly awful public transport policy Britain is lumbered with. I say "lumbered", because I see no possible way for this to change. The Tories brought in privatisation, so they are hardly likely to go back on it if they win the next election. The present government is just treading water, waiting for Tony Blair to finally park the pedalo and leave the pool, and the ninnies who travel on Europe's most shambolic and extortionate railway haven't got the gumption to mount any kind of coordinated protest. Thank goodness I have a car.

Mike Mitchell, Spalding,

I was at the Labour Party Conferance 2006 Alexander the so called minister for Transport was also there full of himself going on about how people who use planes instead of Trains were a bunch of bandits,well whos the bandit now, nice little deal you did behind our back Douglas.I hope Labour gets smashed in the May local elections.we should re Nationalise the whole ruddy Network with no compensation to any of them.

J M , london, g b

The reality is that there are no real profits from running the railways. The service relies on subsidy from the Government. The private companies are allowed to keep for themselves a proportion of the subsidy in return for sheltering the Government from the criticism that should be levied at it by rail users.

laurie clegg, Tunbridge Wells,

The current situation was 100% predicable when the Torys / New Labour privatised the railways. It's another complete screw-up, just like the Iraq war. At least there is an obvious solution here, which is to completely re-nationalise the railways.

Glan Thomas, Wandsworth, London

where did this £1.2 billion go? Maybe they should have bought some more trains with it!

M Brown, Reading,

The service on South West Trains is appalling. We have had replacement buses all along the line from Waterloo to Portsmouth every weekend for months, due to "engineering work". Staff are consistently rude: why should they bother about paying passengers when they themsleves enjoy free travel? The trains are dirty: toilets are frequently out of service. On one train recently all the toilets were broken. Fares have increased to utterly ridiculous levels. It is not possible to book lower price tickets ahead. After a particularly slow and dreadful journey recently I spoke to a senior memeber of staff at a station, who laughed and told me "some people are so fussy". I am amazed that other passengers put up with this disgraceful transport network.

Jennifer , Portsmouth,

The old British Railways used similar tactics. That said, what is this cosy relationship between the Dof T and the train operators/rolling-stock leasing companies. There exist rolling-stock over dog and man in sidings up and down the country - including some stacked-up on the MOD site at Longtown in Cumbria. Greater transparency is required, but blocked by that good old HMG standby - "commercial confidentaility". However, forensic analysis is available upon the train operators' published accounts - the DOT are too dim to follow that line, or looking to post retirement/election kudos. I travel regularly between Somerset and the North West, on the Branson/Soutars' short, overcrowded to the point of danger, rolling stock - It is cheaper by car, even in relation to discounted/saver fare tickets. Perhaps there should not be franchises, but management contracts - as in the hotel industry(?).

Michael McDermott, Bridgwater,

Bonkers. This is a monopoly.. where are the Government enquiries/ commissions/ reports to say that this is not acceptable? It is not affordable to go by train, they don't want us to use the road/fly... best just sit at home and claim the dole.
Anyway, I doubt that man gets the whole £100million.. he must have to pay a considerable number of backhanders out of it. The more money there is in SE England the more rotten it becomes. And who pays? Joe Normal.
Glad I escaped London a couple of years ago. Here everyone is corrupt, but at least they are open about it! And their train system works and is cheap!

Lisa, Milan,

So if they are making off peak cheaper where is the incentive to travel at this time. Surely all those people who waited an extra hour to travel to avoid the 'rush hour' will now just move thier journey forward, compunding the problems of rush hour. I see this as an attempt to extort more money out of the traveling public rather than easing congestion.

Bill, Southampton,

There was no point in denationalising rail to create a series of private regional mo0nopolies

Rob, Eastbourne,

Buses are the way forward, getting to london from bristol only takes an hour longer, seem to suffer less delays, they run really frequently and are a third of the price.

sarah harland, bristol,

Frankly quite stunning, this will just prevent people actually using the trains at all, which in turn will be worse for the [political buzz word] environment. How has saving the environment become all about increased taxes and prices? All we need now is to be taxed by the mile and people won't even be able to afford to leave the house. Then we can all live in our controlled bubbles speaking to each other virtually [adjusting his tin foil helmet]. Nurse!!

Bruce Wigg, Shefford, Bedfordshire, England

Rail travel is one way that the traffic congestion on the road can be eased, but increased fares just drive people off of the right lines.
Under present policy rail and air travel will once again become the preserve of the very rich.

Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD,

How can you maintain that £50 off peak is cheap Mr Bloggs?

Bristol - London is 100 miles - 50p a mile?

Thats a typical mileage rate a car user would charge their employer.

We are talking trains here - not cars.

Henry Northcroft, London, London

once again i can only point out that which i have said on previous occasions. that there is nothing as corrupt as politics with party politics being the most corrupt.

s baron, leith, tasmania

No big surprise. Even with more money than they could ever spend the rich never have enough. I think it is a form of mental illness that might respond to treatment but unless and until society opts for an equitable and fair share of Earth's wealth among all people and puts in place legal limits on wealth and poverty, capitalism will continue to rape the poor and allow the rich to get richer.

Shirley Hodge, Glasgow, E. Renfrewshire

this is unbelievable, they say they want us to use public services more, but there are increasingly making in cheaper to use cars (what is the point of the government introducing all these green taxes if thety allow this to happen) and as well as making us pay more the service is still just as bad and overcrowding at peek time is unbelievable after a hard days work because train comapnies are allowed to get away with removing carriages we are force to stand.

chandni, reading/london,

Now we know who is behind the fare increases, DOT. The glaciers can carry on melting but I shall continue to use my car until we have the integrated public transport system promised by Prescott ten years ago. Bearing in mind all the other measures Government have put in place travel of whatever description is being taxed.

Frank , Epsom, UK

I thought it was acknowledged that encouraging greater use of trains as opposed to cars and planes would help reduce carbon emissions. Silly me, the trains are just another way to fleece the public. This is just another tax increase but this one is labelled as a licence fee and collected from the public by the train operators to be passed to the government. Very clever. I understand taxes have increased by 82% under Labour but what about government receipts which would include taxes that are not called taxes - by how much have they increased during Labours term?

M Jeffs, Bucks, UK

This is the unacceptable face of capitalism. Whilst I am not prepared to identify the train I travel on, for fear that SWT will alter it if I say that my carriage usually has only a handful of passenegers in it, I can confirm that it is exactly one of those they are targeting with this extraordinary price hike. This is blatant profiteering - and at a time when they are giving out £100,000,000 to one man. Not a clever look. In fact, edging on larceny. Enough to make fare-dodging acceptable - if not amost a duty.

Nick, winchester,

We are constantly being told to get off the plane and take the train by a Goverment that is raking in huge payments from private companies.

There is something unnerving and quite sinister about this country, where a Labour Government is pillaging the country through higher and higher taxes, and greater and greater bureaucracy.

The country cannot continue to live on the false premise of high house prices, increased debt and increasing travel costs without paying the penalty at some stage in the future.

Steve Cox, Sidcup, UK

What happened to good old customer service?
The government want us to use more public transport, yet they arrange secret deals behind closed doors to allow these companies to extort more money from the long suffering sardines (sorry, people) on thses trains.

Ashley, Wolverhampton, England

Rail companies are too busy lining the pockets of shareholders and a select few managers by fleecing their passengers to worry about such things as passenger comfort, safety or ticket cost. Whenever there is an accident on the shoddy network their real concern is how to avoid any penalties.
Vote the only way you can. Get in your car and stick two fingers up to the rail companies and the moronic government we have. If global warming is the reason you travel by rail then you are risking your life on an unfounded theory and need to have a serious chat with yourself. If rail is all you have then you have my real sympathy.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

"The Department for Transport agreed to let SWT raise rates in exchange for a £1.2 Billion payment". So much for encouraging the use of public transport and funnelling petrol and car taxes into improving service. The department has revealed their true remit, just another arm of the stealth tax brigade. How much longer will we allow this mismanagement and blatent looting of our pockets to continue?

Lee Watts, Bucks Horn Oak, Surrey Hampshire Border

You have it cheap already!

Bristol to London is £118+ peak, and arround £50 offpeak.

Jo, Bloggs, UK

Although rather right wing in my political attitude, I do believe that the basic infrastructure of this country - which certainly includes public transport - should be nationalised and heavily subsidised by the state.

The appalling way that our railways are run and the obscene profits they make out of it are totally unacceptable. If animals were transported in the same was as commuters are, it would be regarded as inhumane!

Public transport is the most efficient and environmentally friendly way of moving people around and a fantastically efficient and low cost public transport system would encourage millions of people off the roads.

Re-nationalise the railways for a start and plough the profits back into improving them and making them safe rather than making the shareholders into multi-millionaires!

David, Torquay, Devon

When you compare the cost and level of service on SWT with that of transport other countries in Europe it is clear that we have got it wrong, whether that is the fault of stage coach or our secretive Government is an open question.

John, Bagshot, UK

Like withdrawing support for local Post Offices this forces the public into a situation where they have no alternative but to use their cars more.

It only demonstrates that increased taxes on car use are nothing to do with the desire to reduce car use - but a ruse to rip off tax payers even further.

Henry Northcroft, London, London

We now see why Labour had to scrap Railtrack - Their deliberations were public. Labour can do private deals in smoke-filled rooms using Network Rail.

So I suggest a competition. Which Railway Executives will be in the next honours list?

Cynosarges, London, UK