POLITICIANS and residents in Southampton will protest against rail fare hikes.

Labour MP John Denham and the woman hoping to succeed him in his Itchen seat, Rowenna Davis, will lead the protest on Monday.

From 7.45am to 9am they will be joined by residents and party activists on the Commercial Road side of the city’s central railway station.

This week it was announced that annual rail fares are rising by an average of 3.1 per cent while tickets on average are rising by 2.8 per cent.

Mr Denham said: “A massive unfairness has developed in railway funding.

“London commuters face the highest fares, spend the highest proportion of their incomes on getting to work and have got the lowest levels of satisfaction with the value for money they get.”

And Ms Davis said: It now costs over £5,000 to get an annual season ticket to London.

This means that many Southampton residents can’t afford to work in our capital city.

“Why should train companies make growing profits whilst our wages stagnate?

“Rail companies should be there to serve Rowenna Davis passengers – not the other way round.”