Long-suffering commuters today faced the biggest rail fare increase in five years, leading to questions about why service is so poor and why British travellers must pay substantially more than their European peers.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats accused Transport Secretary Chris Grayling of dodging his responsibilities after Grayling flew to Qatar as a day of protests got under way in the UK. Demonstrations were planned at 40 stations across the country in response to the fare increases, reports the BBC.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
About a third of UK trains failed to reach their destination on time over the past 12 months, The Times notes. Yet despite the tardy service, average rail ticket prices have risen by 3.4% across the UK rail network.
Routes facing a £100-plus rise for an annual pass include Liverpool to Manchester (up £108 to £3,152), Maidenhead to London (up £104 to £3,092) and Elgin to Inverness (up £100 to £2,904).
Regular travellers now spend 13% of their annual salary, on average, commuting to work by train in Britain. “This compares with between 2.5% and 5% of workers’ salaries in countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain,” The Times adds.
The Independent says the average cost of a ticket has increased by 32% since the Conservatives took power in 2010, “far outstripping mostly low inflation over the same period”.
The Department for Transport says the fare increases will help improve the network.