Well the promised train fare rises have finally hit. The rise which was meant to be inflation +3% (near enough 9% rise), which has been capped to 5.9%
Regulated fares such as Long Distance Peak Fares and Season Tickets will be regulated to 6% average. However there are some wonderful discrepancies.
- London to Glasgow goes up 8.1%
- Crewe to Chester hits a massive 10.6%
- Northampton and London up by 6.9%
- Birmingham to Edinburgh/ Bristol and Edinburgh is up by 8%
- London to Portsmouth gone up by 3.6%
The Association of Train Companies (ATOC) argue that due to the government wishing to push the cost of running the railway onto the passengers, rather than subsiding it from Government funds, and if we want the additional investment, passengers have to pay. Passenger Focus UK argue that the railways are a public service, and in some cases, the public are being priced off the rails and back into cars.
Oh yes, and which country in Europe has the most expensive train fares? You’d be correct – it’s the United Kingdom.
Commuters: Yes, I know it’s painful too. Trust me (My season ticket is up about 7.5%). Visitors coming to the UK whoo are wanting to use the rail network, budget a lot of extra coins for travel.
Oh and yes, the Underground fares have shot up as well.