Today in news so depressing you’ll want to leave work immediately and get right back under those bed covers: in the UK, we are spending six times more on rail fares than other European countries after yet another increase in rail fares is revealed. The average fare increase of 2.3% came into effect as of yesterday morning, and people aren’t happy.
With governments regulating our rail fails, which was originally (and ironically) brought in to protect passengers from big price increases, our fares have risen by 70% by train operators. According to RMT General Secretary Mick Cash, British passengers are ‘paying the highest fares in Europe.’ We are essentially paying 43% more for our season tickets than commuters did seven years ago, and for what? To travel on over crowded, late-running rammed services that make us feel depressed and grumpy before we’ve even stepped foot in the office. Fantastic.
The Government has used last July’s Retail Prices Index to measure the inflation, and this has determined the increase in fares. People commuting from Luton to London are paying a monthly average of £387 (yes, you heard correctly), with those living in Rome and Paris paying a mere £61 or a monthly rail pass. And it doesn’t end there, the average season ticket now costs £2, 788, a massive £594 more than in 2010.
A survey of 1, 000 passengers by the Association of British Commuters discovered that some have been forced to rent accommodation within London during the week, instead of commuting in and out. While others are simply unable to afford it, and have had to move house or leave work.
Supposedly, the price increase set by the government is to help build better railways, and deliver more punctual journeys that us commuters are so desperate for. Until that happens though, now might be the right time to hop on a plane and not look back, Paris – we’re coming for you and your cheap train fares.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.