It is not so happy New Year for rail commuters this morning with a 3.6 per cent fare rise. To put that into perspective, that means the average season ticket into London has gone up a whopping £146; and sadly the services are still not what we deserve.
According to fai fares;; Revenue from season ticket sales have now fallen for seven consecutive quarters and was down 8 per cent in the most recent figures. While several factors are behind this trend, including a decline in the traditional 9-to-5 job market, and a rise in part time and flexible working, the worry is regular rail travel is becoming unaffordable to large numbers of people.
The Campaign for Better Transport is calling for reform of the fares structure to make it fairer and simpler for all passengers. I hoe 2018 sees a more useful debate on ten right approach to railway pricing because for too many commuting is their only option.