Member Article

Commuters face further 2.2% rail fare rise

Commuters are set to rise at the beginning of next year by an average of 2.2% from 2 January.

Rail industry body the Rail Delivery Group announced the increase which means that more rail travellers will be paying £5,000 for their season tickets than ever before.

The industry figure covers all fares, not just Season tickets and other regulated fares, which will rise by 2.5% as confirmed in Wednesday’s Autumn Statement.

That means south east travellers commuting from Canterbury East to London, for example, will have to pay more than £40 extra than they did for their 2014 season ticket as the price rises from £4,960 to more than £5,000.

Other travellers will soon be joining the ranks of those already paying £4,000 a year for their annual return commute to work.

Michael Roberts, director general of the Rail Delivery Group which represents rail operators and Network Rail, said: “Money from fares goes towards running and maintaining the railway. This benefits not just passengers and businesses but communities across the country, by improving journeys, creating employment and helping to boost the economy.

“Over the next five years, Network Rail is spending on average £27 million a day on a better railway, alongside commitments made by train companies to improve services. That will mean more seats, better stations and improved journeys.

“For every pound spent on fares, 97p goes on track, train, staff and other costs while 3p goes in profits earned by train companies for running services on Europe’s fastest growing railway.

“The industry is continuing to work together to get more for every pound we invest to enable government to make fares decisions which work best for passengers.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .