Britain's government faced a fresh revolt from its own ranks in Parliament Monday after a leaked document revealed that rail fares could rise more than 16 percent in southeast England.
The document said the increase - along with Sunday line closures on some rural services - would help British Rail recoup a $37.5 million shortfall in government grants.The proposals come on top of plans leaked earlier this month to raise fares to meet half the $300 million cost of breaking British Rail into 25 privatized competing franchises.
The leaked BR paper said users could have to pay 16.2 percent more for a rail pass after Christmas with standard single fares up 12 percent and season tickets by 7.9 percent.
BR said the increase was was the toughest of three options open to the nationalized rail carrier to make up the deficit.
Other schemes included freezing the price of some rail passes and increasing others or keeping all fares at an average 6 percent increase but cutting services.
Tory lawmakers united with Labor and the rail unions to condemn the proposed fare hikes, which would hit hard at marginal Tory districts in the southeast that have some of the country's busiest commuter routes.
They warned they would mount a new revolt over privatization if the government accepted the proposals.
Sir Keith Speed, Conservative lawmaker for Ashford, Kent, in south England said that lawmakers would try to block the proposals.