Rail companies raise ticket prices

Nov 16 2009 by Rebekah Oruye, Birmingham Post

Train passengers in the Midlands will face another hike in ticket prices next year, as rail companies announce fare rises.

Rail company chiefs said some unregulated fares would go up by an average of 1.1 per cent in January 2010.

Although regulated fares, which include season tickets, are expected to go down by 0.4 per cent, due to the low Retail Price Index inflation rate.

Virgin Trains is among the train operators expected to follow the price increase with return fares on the West Coast Main Line going up by six per cent. A journey from London to Manchester via Birmingham new Street Station would have cost £247, but from January will be priced at £262.

Chiltern Railways said all its fares to and from London will remain at the same price from January. The route includes regular services from Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill stations to the capital.

Other companies set for fare hikes were, First Great Western, Arriva Trains Wales and Southeastern.

Following the announcement, passenger groups and rail unions accused train companies of “masking” the high rises by not giving separate figures for unregulated fares.

The Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) was also criticised for not publishing - as it usually does - a company-by-company breakdown of the increases.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: “There is a sting in the tail. Many unregulated fares will continue to soar above inflation as the average figures published today will mask steep rises on individual routes.