Rail passengers face above-inflation fare rises

LONDON - Rail commuters will see their fares rising by an average of 4.8 percent next year, more than the rate of inflation, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said on Wednesday.

ATOC defended the increase, saying companies were providing better services, but passenger groups and unions voiced anger at the announcement.

The increases mean that the average price of regulated fares -- season, saver and standard day return tickets -- would go up by 4.8 percent, 0.6 percent above the current rate of retail price inflation.

Some commuters will be worse hit than others, with passengers using Southeastern services from Kent, Sussex and southeast London into the capital, facing a rise of 6.8 percent.

Unregulated fares -- cheap day returns, open and advance purchase tickets -- will go up by an average of 5.4 percent, with some rising by as much as 14 percent.

ATOC said the rises reflected the government's decision to cut its subsidies to train operators, so that the cost of the service fell more on users than general taxpayers.

Increases were also needed for improvements at stations, to pay for new trains and to fund rail expansion plans such as the London Crossrail scheme.

"We need the revenue from fares to pay for investment in the railway for the benefit of passengers," said George Muir, Director General of ATOC.

"We are providing a higher-performing railway with new, refurbished and more punctual trains and better stations. Nearly 91 percent of trains ran on time between April and September this year, the highest punctuality level for a decade."

But passenger groups and unions condemned the rises, saying companies were holding customers to ransom.

"Passengers will be dismayed that fares are going up again, especially as on most routes they have no choice about which train company to use," said Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent consumer watchdog Passenger Focus.

"Passengers should brace themselves for fare rises from now until 2014 as their contribution to railway services nearly doubles from 5 billion to 9 billion pounds each year. They will rightly expect a better service for this."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, said the government's decision to cut subsidies flew in the face of its promise to pursue green policies.

"Talk about the need to reduce carbon emissions is just so much hot air if the privateer train operators are allowed to impose another round of rip-off rail-fare rises," he said.

"The private franchises are interested only in lining their shareholders' pockets, yet the failure to impose a sensible fares policy is having a direct effect on the environment, as more and more people who should be on trains take to their cars."

ATOC said rail travel had grown by 42 percent in the last decade. It said in real terms, fares had risen by just 5 percent since 1999/2000, compared to a 12 percent increase in bus fares and 20 percent for car fuel.