Commuters to shell out for 3.1 per cent increase in rail season tickets from next week
In August, service operator First Great Western proposed an increase to ticket fares of 4.1 per cent, at one per cent above inflation.
This was to apply to regulated ticket fares, which include season tickets, ‘anytime’ single tickets around major cities and off-peak inter-city return tickets. However, it was said that unregulated tickets could increase by up to 9.1 per cent if the cost of other tickets decreased.
Both increases to regulated and unregulated fares were said to be necessary to allow for improvements to infrastructure, such as the electrification of the Great Western main line and the upgrade to Reading Station.
However, in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement in the House of Commons last month, George Osborne ‘cancelled’ the plans and said that increases could only be a maximum of 3.1 per cent.
The increase, while less than that initially proposed, means that rush-hour commuters in Newbury will be shelling out £4,440 from January 6, compared to £4,308 in 2013.
In Hungerford, the price will rise from £4,512 to £4,652 and in Thatcham, passengers will be charged £4,088, up from £3,960 last year.
A spokesman for First Great Western, Dan Paynes, said that the firm would not be raising unregulated fares above 3.1 per cent.
He added that as a result of the cap, some taxpayer money would now have to be used to fund any improvement projects.
“That plus one per cent was asking taxpayers to pay less and farepayers to pay more,” he said.
Last year, First Great Western found itself in hot water after government figures found it to be the worst operator in the south east for overcrowding, while it also faced criticism from regular users for running an unreliable service .
In October, it was awarded a 23-month franchise extension to continue running services in the region by the Department for Transport and Mr Paynes said that First Great Western was already taking steps to improve the service.
“At the moment the issue with crowding is one that we absolutely recognise,” he said.
“In the last two years we have increased capacity at peak times by more than 10 per cent.
“We have got plans in place to do more as part of the new franchise but we are still talking to the government about exactly what these plans will be.”
Have you been affected by the price increases? Let us know – email reporter Ellis Barker on ellis.barker@newburynews.co.uk