March 5th 2023.
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk) The rail fares increase is the largest in more than a decade, leading some people in England and Wales to dub it 'just another nail in the coffin' amid the cost of living crisis. An average hike of up to 5.9% has added hundreds of pounds to the cost of many annual season tickets, making it a 'bitter pill to swallow' for those already struggling with rising energy and food bills. Examples of new ticket prices based on a 5.9% rise include an annual season ticket from Woking to London increasing by £216 from £3,664 to £3,880, an off-peak return from Birmingham to Cardiff going up by £3.97 from £67.30 to £71.27, and an anytime day single from Liverpool to Leeds increasing by £2.35 from £39.90 to £42.25. The government has highlighted that the rise is 'well below inflation and delayed', but Labour has labelled it 'savage' and 'a sick joke'. According to Bruce Williamson, spokesperson for campaign group Railfuture, 'it will be a case of grin and bear it again' for many commuters. He highlighted that year-on-year rail fares have gone up and the government has 'got away with making rail fares more and more expensive' while people have had no alternative but to 'grin and bear it and pay and find savings elsewhere in their life'. This is the highest fare increase since 2012 and people often complain about 'not getting value for money'; one in 25 services were cancelled in the year to February 4, the worst reliability in records dating back to 2014. Strikes, staff shortages and sickness, severe weather and infrastructure failures have all caused disruption to the railways.
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk) Describing it as 'just another nail in the coffin' in light of the cost of living crisis, commuters in England and Wales have expressed dismay at the largest rise in rail fares in over a decade. An average increase of up to 5.9%, this could add hundreds of pounds to the price of annual season tickets. Labour called the hike 'savage' and 'a sick joke', while campaigners warned it will be 'a bitter pill to swallow' for those already struggling with energy and food bills. Examples of the cost implications include an £216 rise from £3,664 to £3,880 on an annual season ticket from Woking to London and a £3.97 increase from £67.30 to £71.27 on an off-peak return from Birmingham to Cardiff. Although the government have stated the rise is 'well below inflation and delayed', Railfuture spokesperson Bruce Williamson said 'it will be a case of grin and bear it again' for commuters. This is the highest fare jump since 2012 and passengers often complain of 'not getting value for money' with one in 25 services cancelled in the year up to February 4, the worst on record. Strikes, severe weather, infrastructure issues, staff shortages and sickness have all caused disruption to the railways.
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