December 9th 2024.
According to a recent report, Eurostar may have some room for improvement in terms of value for money. In fact, the UK has been ranked last when it comes to the affordability of rail tickets compared to other European countries. The study analyzed 27 different rail operators and found that Avanti and Great Western Railway were among the three with the highest prices. The third spot was secured by Eurostar, which operates the UK's crucial Channel Tunnel service. Further examination showed that GWR's fares were two-and-a-half times higher than the EU average, while Avanti West Coast's prices were one-and-a-half times higher. The study looked at more than 8,000 tickets, calculating the average cost of standard fares in second-class carriages on weekdays, with purchases made seven and 28 days in advance. Special fares and discounts were also taken into consideration.
The full list of the cheapest train tickets in Europe includes names like Flixtrain in Germany, Ouigo in France and Belgium, and RegioJet in the Czech Republic. Interestingly, the list also features Avanti, GWR, and Eurostar, all of which are UK-based operators. This comes as no surprise, considering the report's finding that rail travel in the UK is particularly expensive. The researchers attributed this to high infrastructure costs and the presence of private monopolies, which have a responsibility to address the issue.
Compared to other European operators offering long-distance high-speed journeys of a similar length, Eurostar's fares were found to be almost double the price. However, the report emphasized that this cannot be solely attributed to the costs associated with the Channel Tunnel. While Avanti and GWR were singled out as the most expensive in the UK, it is worth noting that they were the only UK-specific operators included in the study. The report covered the whole of Europe and included a limited number of operators for manageability purposes.
But the question remains, are passengers getting better services for the high cost of their tickets? Unfortunately, the answer seems to be no. The report found no correlation between price and how well operators scored in other categories. For example, GWR and RegioJet had comparable scores of 6.6 in non-pricing factors, yet GWR's prices were six times higher. In the overall rankings, which considered eight criteria such as ease of booking and reliability, Avanti, GWR, and Eurostar ranked 19th, 22nd, and 27th, respectively. Affordability accounted for 25% of the final score, with special fares and reductions, ease of booking, and reliability making up the remaining 15% each.
In terms of booking, the UK operators received marks for offering tickets well in advance. Eurostar, for instance, allows passengers to book up to 11 months before their trip, while GWR and Avanti offer weekly tickets 6 and 3 months in advance, and weekend tickets 3 months and 11 weeks in advance, respectively. However, the report noted that, except for GWR, these operators are weak in terms of reliability. On a positive note, both Avanti and GWR lead in compensation, offering refunds for delays as short as 15 minutes, which is well beyond the UK's legal minimum of 50% for delays over 30 minutes. The report suggested that EU operators could learn from their example.
Overall, the UK has a unique opportunity to rethink its rail services, especially with the ongoing process of renationalization. According to Michael Solomon Williams, a representative for the Campaign of Better Transport, the lack of variety in rail services and the high ticket prices may explain why many UK travelers choose to fly to mainland Europe instead. Williams believes that there is massive untapped potential for more affordable and diverse rail services, which could attract new operators and destinations. He proposed that the government should develop an International Rail Strategy with targets to shift journeys from air to rail and work on reducing rail tolls, which are considerably higher in the UK compared to other countries.
In response to the report, a spokesperson for Eurostar emphasized that their launch prices have not changed since the introduction of a new website and app in October last year. They added that the new platform has made it even easier for customers to find the lowest fares. The spokesperson also mentioned that Eurostar has seen a record number of passengers in 2024 and expects this number to continue to grow as they invest in their services. When approached for comment, the Department for Transport, the Rail Delivery Group, Avanti, and GWR had no immediate response.
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