Rail fares outstrip cost of living rises

[whole diary]

[ellendune]

Rail fares outstrip cost of living rises

Walk on fares on some of the countries busiest rail routes have gone up three times faster than inflation since privatisation, according research by a transport union.

Train operators have complete freedom to set the price of some tickets Photo: ALAMY
By David Millward, Transport Editor4:54PM GMT 04 Feb 201323 Comments
A journey to Manchester which cost £50 in 1995 now costs £154, representing a rise of 208 per cent.
Meanwhile a single journey to Exeter, which cost £37.50 in 1995 has increased by 205 per cent to £114.50.
Over the same period the retail price index has increased by 66 per cent.
The figures were supplied to the Transport and Salaried Staffs Association by Barry Doe, an expert on the rail industry and author of Doe’s Directory of Printed Bus & Rail Timetables, Web Sites and Enquiry Offices.
While the Government controls some fares, including season tickets, train operators are given complete freedom to set others as they wish.
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"Private rail firms were given a licence to print money in the 1990s and they have been ripping off passengers ever since," said Manuel Cortes, the union’s general secretary.
"This demolishes the Tories' claim when they sold off British Rail-namely that fares would get cheaper.
*What we have seen is little more than legalised day daylight trobbery on a grand scale," added the union leader.
"Passengers have suffered all the pain while private operators have seen all the gains. Now we are number one in Europe for the highest fares.”
However the Association of Train Operating Companies said the figures were misleading. “The TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) has only looked at a handful of the most expensive tickets which only a tiny minority of passengers buy.
“Based on figures from the rail regulator, the average price paid for a single journey is £4.95 compared with £4.82 in 1995 when inflation is taken into account.”
Top ten fare increases:
Any time single fare from London

1995 2013 %

Manchester   £50 £154 208%

Exeter £37.50 £114.50 205%

Cardiff £35 £103.50 196%

Swindon £20 £58.50 193%

Birmingham £28.50 £79 177%

Nottingham £29.50 £78.50 166%

Glasgow £65 £169 160%

Leeds £48 £124.50 159%

Edinburgh £65 £152 134%

Norwich £29 £64.10 121%

Of course ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here) are correct not many people buy the full single fare they they either have a season ticket or buy a return at twice the price! I suppose ATOC believe all those people who pack trains in the morning and evening peaks bought advance tickets.  I think not. Still I do blame the companies - it is the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) who have connived in this who are to blame.

Sorry can't do tables

[grahame]

I saw an answer by the head poncho at ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here) on this, claiming that the report was biased because it only picked out certain fare types, and saying that the average journey fare has remained static for many years at around five pounds.  (If anyone has a link / reference, please add it ... I saw it within the last few days but can't find it again at the moment).

I would suggest
a) Peak, walk up fares have risen - to a great extent that's a policy to supress demand on peak trains
b) Commuter and local traffic has grown faster that long distance traffic, and that rebalance means average journeys are shorter, so average fares should have gone down
c) Does a BNM special - splitting a journey into four sections, and spending (say) 70 pounds count as 1 journey at 70 pounds, 2 at 35 (they are return tickets) or 8 at 9 pounds each as far as ATOC are concerned?



Edit note: One typo corrected, for clarity. CfN.