Rail tickets cost six times more in UK than in rest of Europe after new price hike
Commuters in Britain spend up to 14 per cent of wages to get to and from work
RAIL passengers in Britain are paying about six times more than Europeans after the new fares hike, research shows.
The latest 2.3 per cent rise means commuters in the UK fork out up to 14 per cent of their salary to get to and from work.
But travellers on the continent pay just two to four per cent of their wages on fares.
The Action for Rail study comes after the Government cut rail funding by £1.1billion, or 24 per cent, in the last five years.
UK ticket prices have soared by £1.2billion in that time, but high state subsidies in Germany, France, Italy and Spain have kept their fares low.
Commuters are rightly angry at annual fare rises when they see little or no improvement in the service
The latest hike, three times higher than last year, is twice the rate of inflation and means prices have gone up 56 per cent in ten years.
Meanwhile, a study by the Campaign for Better Transport found commuters are paying up to 27p a minute to travel by rail — the same as a premium-rate phone call.
A spokeswoman said: “Wages remain stagnant and trains continue to be hopelessly overcrowded.
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“So commuters are rightly angry at annual fare rises when they see little or no improvement in the service they get.”
More than 230,000 people said high fares had forced them to quit jobs in the last three years.
And 80,000 more are considering quitting this year, a poll found.
Passenger watchdog Transport Focus called for a fares freeze to help rebuild trust.
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.
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