Railway commuters face season ticket hike of nearly £3,500 in a decade, analysis reveals
Some commuters have faced a season ticket hike of nearly £3,500 in the past decade, new analysis has revealed.
In a study of more than 180 train routes, the Labour Party found the average commuter will be paying £3,144 for their season ticket, a 43 per cent increase from 2010.
The highest increase is projected to be on a season ticket between Birmingham and London Euston, which will have risen by £3,467 since 2010 and now costs £11,204.
It comes after the Government’s announcement of a 2.6 per cent increase in ticket prices for passengers in England and Wales.
Union leaders have accused train operators of "profiteering" despite a huge reduction in the number of travellers because of the pandemic.
Average fares have risen two-and-a-half times faster than wages, according to Labour.
The 2.6 per cent increase means rail fares in England and Wales are going to rise above inflation for the first time in seven years, with the Government accused of "pricing the railways out of existence".
Increases had been based on the Retail Price Index since January 2014, but this policy has been axed because of the "unprecedented taxpayer support" given to the rail industry during Covid-19.
The cost of an annual season ticket from Brighton to London will rise £129 to £5,109 - while a yearly pass from Liverpool to Manchester will now cost an additional £70, hitting £2,762.
The Scottish government is introducing smaller rises - with an increase of 1.6 per cent for peak travel, and 0.6 per cent for off-peak journeys.
The Government and devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales took over rail franchise agreements from train operators last March after workers were encouraged to stay at home, with demand collapsing as a result.
Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: "This fare hike will make rail unaffordable for many and discourage people from getting back on to the network when lockdown restrictions ease in the coming months."
Meanwhile Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, commented: "As the Government raises fares for rail passengers and freezes pay for rail workers, it is business as usual for the private rail industry.
"Rail companies raking in hundreds of millions of pounds in profit every year prior to the pandemic was bad enough but now in a corporate Covid cash grab scandal of epic proportions, we learn they stand to actually increase the share they take in ticket revenues with profits equivalent to 15p of every pound passengers paid on rail fares.”
A spokesman from the Department for Transport said: "Passengers returning to the railway deserve punctual and reliable journeys at a fair price.
“This is the lowest increase in four years - despite unprecedented taxpayer support for the rail industry during the pandemic of around £10 billion, and billions more being spent on new infrastructure.
“By delaying the change in fares, passengers who needed to renew season tickets were able to get a better deal, and we will set our further plans to offer cheaper, more flexible tickets for commuters in due course.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated a Virgin Trains season ticket between Birmingham and London Euston would have risen by £3,467 since 2010. Virgin Trains have not been in operation since Dec 2019. We are happy to make this clear.
