NIGHTMARE

Craig.J.McCarthy

The

most

expensive train faires in the world

We have the most expensive train fares in the world. We pay 20% more on average than the rest of Europe, and our season tickets are twice as high. Some

season tickets now cost the equivalent of a fifth of the average UK salary.Fares are set to rise 25% over the next four years – up to £1,300 more for some

season tickets

8 out of 10 people oppose the Government’s plans to increase fares even

more in 2012. T is was the single most unpopular policy announced in

the spending review. (YouGov).

Since 1997, the cost of train travel has increased in real terms by 13%; the

cost of road travel has fallen by 14% and the

35% Fact: According to Passenger Focus (2009), Britain’s train tickets

are, on average, the most expensive in Europe.

Day return: Britain £6.92 / Germany

£5.08 / Spain £2.52 / France £1.85. (Passenger Focus; averages for

journeys of three to 10 miles).

Annual season ticket: Britain £1,860 / France £990 / Germany

£944 / Spain £788 / Italy £444. (Passenger Focus; averages for journeys

of 11 to 25 miles). Fact: T e Campaign for Better

Transport explains that the fare rises, which came into ef ect on 2

January 2011, mean that commuters in some parts of the country

are being asked to pay £5,192, or 20% of the

average UK salary, for their annual season ticket. T is

is the equivalent of transport secretary

Philip Hammond MP being asked to pay £27,034 for a season ticket

average price of a one way f ight from Britain has fallen by

20%Europe’s average train fair’s

We have the most expensive train fares in the world. We pay 20%

more on average than the rest of Europe, and our season tickets

are twice as high. Some season tic

kets now cost the equivalent of

a fifth of the average UK salary.

Our average train fair in the UK.

How much more we pay than Europe, a huge 20%

20%Our average train fair in the UK.

Peak fares can start at 3pm. Train operators Virgin and East Coast charge passengers peak fares from as early as 3pm, an investigation has found.Network Rail up to 40% less efficient in maintaining railway tracks and stations than European rivals, says regulator (September 2010) The 07.42 from Reading to London Paddington, operated by First Great Western, carried on average 326 passengers more than the train’s capacity of 533. Described by the DfT as a ‘very popular service into Paddington’, it was one of 10 trains identified in a Freedom of Information reply. The figures were compiled in a snapshot survey taken in late 2009.Overcrowding on trains in England and Wales will get substantially worse over

PEAK TIMES

We pay too much!

the next four years despite rises in ticket prices,

according to a report by MPs on The Public Accounts

Committee (October 2010)

Normally you would expect to buy one train ticket

covering the whole train journey from ‘A’ to ‘D’.

Depending on your route and time of travel, you may

find it a lot cheaper to ‘split Your ticket’ by buying

separate train tickets that cover the segments from

A to B , B to C and C to D. Some websites claim to

help commuters save money splitting their tickets.

A recent YouGov poll found that the planned fare

hikes for 2012 were the single most unpopular policy

announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review,

opposed by eight out of 10 people

IT’S THEFT!

IT’S THEFT!

CRAIG.J.MCCARTHY