July’s inflation figure announced – Passenger Focus responds

28 March 2013

David Sidebottom, Passenger Focus, director, said:

“We are disappointed by the news that in January fares in England are set to go up on average by 6.2% – for hard-pressed passengers, especially those who rely on the train for work, the prospect of another increase is a worrying one. Passengers in Great Britain already pay some of the highest fares in Europe and our most recent passenger survey showed that just 42% of passengers felt they had got value for money on their ticket.

“Having some fares regulated is clearly in passengers’ interests. However, the way that train companies are allowed flexibility to set fares on individual routes is deeply unfair. If the fares go up by RPI plus three percent, many passengers, already hard-pressed, could be looking at double digit fare increases. While we understand the need for flexibility, we strongly believe that this system needs to be changed.”

For further information please contact:

Dervish Mertcan
Communications Officer
Passenger Focus
Tel: 0300 123 0847 / 07918 626 045
or e-mail: dervish.mertcan@transportfocus.org.uk