Train fares increase by up to £2,100 since 2010 with commuters facing a ‘kick in the teeth’ as some workers will be forced to pay 27p per minute for their train
The increases come despite inflation hovering around the one per cent mark
COMMUTERS face a "kick in the teeth" when they buy their train tickets tomorrow morning - with fares up 2.3 per cent on average.
The increases mean travellers on some lines will be paying £2,000 more for their yearly ticket than they were in 2010.
Users of Virgin Trains East Coast are among the worst hit with an eye-watering rise of 4.9 per cent on their line.
A yearly train from Liverpool to Manchester now costs 1.9 per cent, or £56 more, while the Sevenoaks-London line is up £60 to £3,380.
The increases come despite inflation hovering around the one per cent mark.
The planned rises, which kicked into effect yesterday, left rail campaigners furious.
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Commuting by train now costs as much per minute as making a premium rate phone call.
The Campaign for Better Transport says that works out at 27p per minute — the cost of a premium number call — for some commuters.
Lianna Etkind, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "Today’s fare rises are another kick in the teeth for long-suffering rail passengers.
"Many experienced a less frequent and more overcrowded service last year, and now they are required to pay more for the same this year.
"The whole fares system is completely unfair and its high time the Government overhauled it."
The rises are the latest in a line of hikes that have seen commuters hit in the pocket by up to £2,100 since 2010.
Labour research used the London to Birmingham line as an example of astronomical increases.
Commuters on the line now pay a yearly fare of £10,200 - £2,172 more than 2010.
Andy McDonald, the Labour's transport spokesman, said: “Passengers have faced truly staggering fare rises of over £2,000 since 2010.
“In some cases, commuters are paying 43 per cent more as a direct consequence of decisions made by ministers.
“Passengers were always told that higher fares were necessary to fund investment, but vital projects have been delayed by years and essential maintenance works have been put on hold.”
But Transport Secretary Chris Grayling defended the increases.
He said: "This commitment to cap regulated fares in line with inflation will save annual season ticket holders an average £425 in the five years to 2020.
UK train fare increases since 2010
Brit commuters have faces train fare increases of up to £2,200 since 2010, shocking statistics reveal
- Birmingham to London (Virgin) – up £2,172, from £8,028 (2010) to £10,200 (2017).
- Coventry to London Euston (Virgin) – up £1,920, from £7,096 to £9,016.
- Swindon to London – up £1,796, from £6,640 to £8,436.
- Stoke-on-Trent to Milton Keynes Central – up £1,748, from £5,320 to £7,068.
- Dover Priory to London – up £1,672, from £4,648 to £6,320
“To improve services, we are investing more than £40bn into our railways.
"This will provide passengers with better trains that are faster and more comfortable.
“We have always fairly balanced the cost of this investment between the taxpayer and the passenger.
"On average, 97 per cent of every £1 of a passenger’s fare goes back into the railway.”
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