COMMUTERS “won’t be fooled” by a train company staging a flash sale of 10p tickets while imposing a rip-off 2.7 per cent fare rise, rail union leader Manuel Cortes said today.

The TSSA general secretary condemned Northern’s “gimmick” of selling thousands of train tickets priced at 10p for adults and 5p for children on a first come, first served basis.

Advance tickets can be booked for travel between January 13 and February 14 and between February 24 and 29.

The plan follows Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’s announcement that he was revoking Northern’s franchise after years of poor performance, including numerous cancellations.

Mr Cortes said: “Northern has a cheek trying to hoodwink commuters with this gratuitous gimmick.

“The public simply won’t be fooled by this nonsense, which comes only a few days after yet another disgraceful hike in rail fares across the network.

“If Northern thinks it can get around the real anger people feel across the north about what they have to endure on a daily basis because of this failing franchise, then it had better think again.

“Northern is a basket case which must come under public control without further delay.”