Rail passengers face another leap in fares... on trains that are oldest since records began

BRITAIN’S trains are the oldest since current records began, despite record fare increases.

Passengers are travelling in carriages which were typically built in the mid-nineties, according to Office of Rail and Road (ORR) statistics. Analysis by the Press Association found the average age of 21.1 years is older than at any point in publicly available records and 60 per cent older than in 2006.

Yet fares throughout Britain are to go up 3.4 per cent from tomorrow – the largest rise in five years.

The ORR has previously said older trains can result in worse reliability, less comfortable journeys and poorer performance than modern versions, although it notes that older rolling stock can be refurbished.

Travellers using the Caledonian Sleeper service between London and Scotland have to put up with Britain’s oldest trains at an average of 42 years old. Merseyrail, which runs trains in Merseyside, has the second oldest fleet at an average of 38 years old.

Both operators plan to introduce new rolling stock in the coming years.

Transpennine Express, which operates in northern England and Scotland, has the newest trains at an average of just nine years old.

Stephen Joseph, Campaign for Better Transport chief executive, said: “We’ve been promised new trains by several train operators and some are under construction – we now want to see these promises turn into reality.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are investing record amounts in delivering the biggest rail improvement plan since Victorian times to improve services for passengers… Passengers all over the UK will be travelling on brand new trains within the next 18 months.”

ORR figures show that £4.2billion of taxpayers’ cash went to the rail industry in 2016-17. Taking inflation into account, this is more than twice as much as British Rail used to get before privatisation.