Rail fares increase
Government criticised for increasing rail fares, with Railfuture accusing it of “bias” against rail travellers.
THE annual fares increase on January 2 drew extensive criticism from passenger and transport groups, with Railfuture accusing the Government of “bias” against rail travellers.
Railfuture spokesman Bruce Williamson pointed out that road fuel duty has been frozen for five years, and claimed that rail fares have risen by 30% in the same period. On average, fares are claimed to have risen by 3.4% this year.
“The Government is showing undeniable bias against the rail traveller and driving people onto our ever more congested and polluted roads,” he said. “Fares are rising faster than most people’s wages, so they are taking a larger slice of their income. It looks like people are being priced out of getting to work.”
Railfuture called for regulated fares increases to be set against the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in July, rather than the Retail Price Index (RPI), which is usually higher. The RPI figure in July was 3.6%, with the CPI one percentage point lower. Railfuture said that had CPI been used as the inflation measure for rail fares, ticket prices could be up to 17% lower than at present.
Transport Focus Chief Executive Anthony Smith also backed calls to use the CPI measure, saying: “Many passengers face stagnant or falling incomes while rail fares continue to climb. Transport Focus has long called for the fairer, clearer Consumer Price Index as the basis for rail fare rises rather than the increasingly discredited Retail Price Index. It is welcome news that the Government has recognised the need to act to relieve the burden on hard-pressed passengers.”
Rail Delivery Group Chief Executive Paul Plummer defended the fares increase, saying: “On average, fares will rise by less than inflation this year. For every pound paid in fares, 97p goes directly back to operating and improving services, and with more people travelling that means more money for investment by the private and public partnership railway to build the better network Britain needs.
“Working together in partnership across the industry and with government, our long-term plan to improve will secure £85 billion of additional economic benefits
while enabling further investment and improvement for customers, communities and our people. Over the next 18 months alone the country will see an unprecedented transformation in rail services, including dramatic improvements across the Thameslink network and through the Great North Rail Project.”
However, Campaign for Better Transport Chief Executive Stephen Joseph said: “We called for a rail fares freeze to help struggling commuters, but the Government chose to snub rail passengers and only freeze fuel duty.
“Today season ticket holders will have had to fork out almost as much as drivers will save this year. That doesn’t seem fair to us or the millions of people who commute by train, especially as wages continue to stagnate. What’s good enough for motorists should be good enough for rail passengers.”