Rail fares to rise by average of 2.3% next year

Train fares will go up by an average of 2.3% next year, the rail industry has announced.

The figure is the average increase across all rail tickets and will take effect from January 2.

Lianna Etkind of the Campaign for Better Transport condemned the increase, warning that some passengers are "finding themselves priced off the railways".

She said: "The train operating companies and the Government need to work closely together to provide fairer, simpler and cheaper fares making sure people are always sold the cheapest ticket available.

"Between 1995 and 2016 passengers have seen average fares increase by 23.5% and much more needs to be done by train operators and the Government to give them a truly affordable railway."

Ms Etkind accused the Government of "dragging its feet" over the introduction of flexible season tickets with "fair discounts" for the eight million part-time workers across the UK.

"It is not right that part-time workers have to buy expensive one-off tickets, or season tickets which they then waste on the days they don't work," she said.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group which represents train operators and Network Rail, said: "We understand how passengers feel when fares go up, and we know that in some places they haven't always got the service they pay for.

"Around 97p in every pound passengers pay goes back into running and improving services.

"Fares are influenced by government policy, either through government-regulated fares such as season tickets or as a result of the payments train companies make to government.

"This money helps government to support the biggest investment in our railway since Victorian times."

Rail , Maritime and Transport union general secretary Mick Cash said; "This latest fares hike is another kick in the teeth for British passengers and condemns them to continue to pay some of the highest fares in Europe to travel on rammed out and unreliable trains.

"Once again the rip-off private train companies are laughing all the way to the bank as they whack up fares and axe staff in all-out dash to maximise their profits.

"This culture of private greed on Britain's railways has to stop and RMT will step up the fight for a publicly-owned railway where services and safety are the priority, not corporate profits. "