THE GREAT TRAIN STATION ROBBERY
Snacks ‘3 times price of High St’
HIGH street giants have been accused of ripping off train travellers with runaway prices at their booming station shops.
Chains including WH Smith, M&S and Greggs charge up to three times as much for chocolate, sweets and drinks as in other branches of the same firms.
As families hit the railways for halfterm days out, we compared prices at mainline station shops and high streets.
A family-sized Cadbury Dairy Milk bar and a bag of Maynards Wine Gums both cost £1 in a high street branch of WH Smith – yet in a station they are £1.99 and £2.99 respectively. Other mark-ups can be found at M&S Simply Food, where a 70p bottle of mineral water and a £2.60 tub of M&S Rocky Road Mini Bites cost £1 and £2.80.
At Pret a Manger’s Eurostar St Pancras branch, some sandwiches cost 19p more while at Greggs a 90p sausage roll becomes £1.15.
Business has never been better for station shops, cafes and bars. Network Rail, which runs the UK’s 21 mainline stations, made £124million last year from retail space. Rail shop operators say their overheads are higher because premises are more expensive to rent.
But Marc Gander of the Consumer Action Group said: “It’s not only a holiday rip-off, it’s a rip-off all year.”
Consumer complaint website Resolver called it “outrageous”.
M&S said: “Our prices are a little higher in travel locations, reflecting the fact that we work with franchise partners and running costs are higher.”
Network Rail said: “We encourage retailers to price as keenly as possible.” Dairy Milk choc bar £1.99 Mars bar 99p Maynards Wine Gums £2.99
Mineral water £1 Rocky Road Mini Bites £2.80 Sea salt crisps £1
Sausage roll
Steak & cheese roll Doughnut £1 89p £1