British rail fares reach five times higher than continental Europe

Season ticket travellers could see price hikes of more than £100

A 30 mile train commute is costing the average Brit around five times more than European counterparts, according to a rail comparison from the Press Association. Examining the commutes of London workers travelling from the Essex city of Chelmsford and comparing them to similar distances and locations in European countries, Brits paid around five times more than the likes of France and Germany.

How much of your salary goes on #railfare travel? An average 30 mile commute in the UK can be five times higher than on the continent pic.twitter.com/ctu7dzSCnG

— Press Association (@PA) January 2, 2018

The research comes following the announcement that UK rail fares have risen by 3.4%, meaning that many commuters have seen their season tickets rise by over £100, with those regularly travelling to London and other major cities being hit hardest. According to the BBC, the increase is the largest in five years and specialists are concerned that it will cause more road traffic.

“It looks like people are being priced out of getting to work,” said rail campaigner Railfuture.  “The public deserves to get value from these fares in the form of much better customer service, clearer ticket choices, better punctuality and reliability, more seats, and more frequent services when and where people wish to travel.”

The increase to rail fares, which has been trending on twitter under the hashtag of #RailFail has been defended as the opportunity for real change to the national rail network, with the money going towards improvement to British railways and trains, including the Governments plan to provide better onboard wi-fi and mobile connectivity across the country.

“Obviously today we see a fare increase and I know passengers are not happy, nor with the reliability of the railway,” Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail told The Guardian. “And that’s why we are investing so heavily to improve it.”

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