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    UK train fares highest in Europe, study claims with one operator particularly high
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    UK train fares highest in Europe, study claims with one operator particularly high

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    33 Comments

    1. jtthom on

      “Great Western Railway fares are two-and-a-half times higher than the average across European Union (EU) and Swiss operators for routes of similar lengths, the study by campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) found.”

      To the surprise of nobody. I pay SWR about £40 per day for a 36 minute return trip to Waterloo. There aren’t many days where you get a seat and the trains run on time. Some days they’re just flat out cancelled.

    5. Klumber on

      We’ve been told for decades that fees would have to rise to improve the rail infrastructure. So, what infrastructure was built in the last two decades?

      High Speed 1, linking London to Paris/Channel Tunnel.

      Crossrail 1 & 2, increasing network capacity in London.

      Elizabeth Line, London. Thameslink, London. DLR, London.

      Withdrawn projects/political footballs: Northern Hub (Manchester), Leeds tramline, East Coast Mainline electrification (apparently reinstated), HS2 (yeah…). But to be fair to Westminster, they did complete electrification of Liverpool-Manchester and the line to Bromsgrove and at some point in the distant future, the Transpennine Route Upgrade might even be completed, should it not be canned before spades go in the ground (or like HS2, after the spades hit the ground).

      I think there’s a bit of a pattern here.

    6. bobblebob100 on

      High yes, but a downside of them being crap is alot of the time you can claim most or all of it back on delay repay

    7. Vargrr on

      I’m now wondering if the other European Countries privatised their transport – and if they did, how are they keeping their companies in line?

    8. PixieBaronicsi on

      The last couple of years I’ve paid ridiculously high train fares and then often got half my money back due to delays. I can’t help but think those things are related

    9. BigBeanMarketing on

      Got the train from Brussels to Luxembourg just a few weeks ago, and it was under £20 for a four hour journey. Big double decker train, clean, on time, excellent. Came home and paid £30 for a 50 minute London to Cambridge train.

    10. xParesh on

      Its funny how you can fly to Europe cheaper than the cost of several miles of railroad in the UK. Would it really take a genius to sort out the fares debacle? Im a free marketeer but if by nationalising all UK railways and running it as cheaply and as effectively as TFL does in London then I’m all for it.

    11. JHock93 on

      I live in Cardiff and sometimes get suggested ads on Instagram for GWR “A day trip to London for only £99!”

      This was being marketed as some kind of bargain…

    12. kairu99877 on

      Ofcourse they are. Should all be nationalised. They say it’ll damage investments in the uk, but who gives a crap. Uk investment is already terrible. Just nationalise it all. The trains, coaches, ferries, electricity, gas. Nationalise it all. The people will be better for it. And even if we weren’t, we’d be happier paying our scummy government than some trash company and their share holders. The whole lot should never have been privatised in the first place.

    13. Consistent_Owl5348 on

      Kinda makes sense if you see what the actual fuck a train driver is on! On about 3 times my fucking salary as a tree surgeon. And he’s pushing a joystick. Joke

    14. PrestigiousTourist75 on

      “Study claims” anyone who has travelled to in Europe could tell you that the UK train fares are sky high and have been for years in comparison to the rest of Europe. Not only are the fares high but the service is worse too.

    15. LauraPhilps7654 on

      It’s really sad how we’ve tolerated this over the years. I swear they’d riot over stuff like this in France. But we voted the Tories back in again and again.

    16. ToughCapital5647 on

      Private Eye once had leaked emails from the German parent company of a British railway franchise and they called Britain Treasure Island.

    17. TheOxalisDragon on

      I find it insulting that South Western Railway were giving free rail travel to Ukrainian “refugees” where other passengers had to pay sky-high prices.

      I use the term “refugees” loosely as they’re not what I consider to be genuine refugees.

    18. Vaxtez on

      It’s ridiculous that it is £30 for Cheltenham Spa – Birmingham (a 45 min journey). Meanwhile in Italy, Bologna – Venice is £13 for a return, and that is a longer journey

    19. BaBeBaBeBooby on

      The govt screwing us, and the uninformed will blame it all on some profiteering private company. Check the fares of the govt run lines. Spoiler – they’re far from cheap.

    20. 0121dan on

      Our trains prices suck, but at least you have recourse when trains are cancelled or delayed. I’ve been all over Europe this year using trains and just last week I got screwed out of €120 because snow cancelled all trains from Bernay to Rouen, but they refused to give me a refund because tickets can be used on the next available service – the next service wasn’t running until I was out of the country. Big L France.

    21. dannylfcxox on

      We pay the highest rail fares and energy fares in Europe. Food prices were typically cheap and that’s creeping up too. We’re being taken for absolute mugs

    22. RainInMyBr4in on

      Is it any surprise considering you could get a week long holiday package to Greece for the same price as a London to Scotland train 🤣

    23. ThinAndCrispyPizza on

      Not at all surprised.

      A weeks’ holiday in Spain can be cheaper than a return ticket to some places.

    25. dcuk7 on

      My car is broke and I have to get the train to work tomorrow. Luckily I have a new interest-free credit card.

    26. Panda_hat on

      Railway customers are being taken for a ride (pun not intended) with these grotesque fares.

      Public transport and especially trains should be essentially free and run at cost to promote travel and exchange and economic activity.

      The fact that they are so horrendously priced on services that run regardless, often under capacity or empty is borderline criminal.

    27. ehproque on

      While important and informative, I’m not particularly surprised about this. What I would like to know is what’s *not* the most expensive in Europe.

      It’s going to be “paying salaries”, isn’t it?

    28. Shoddy-Computer2377 on

      I remember I had First Class tickets booked on LNER for Christmas 2020, when we all cancelled due to lockdown. The _entire journey_ i.e. both legs, was £170 all in. The same round trip now is sitting at nearly £300.

      Also, I sometimes have to go to Birmingham once or twice a year on business. In 2022 my tickets were £55. 2023? They were approaching £65-70. 2024? It was over £90.

      Spiralling costs mean our corporate expenses people are now saying that rail should be booked “as an exception”, as far in advance as possible, and you must take the cheapest fare available unless there’s a fine reason not to. If that’s First Class with a railcard at 6am then that’s what you do.

      If there is a group of you and the journey is 3-4 hours you are expected to lift share a hire car.

    29. PloppyTheSpaceship on

      I still remember having to go from Leeds to Godalming last minute on business. I’d actually just been on holiday to France, caught a TGV to Disneyland Paris, stayed in an apartment for four nights, and got a metro I to Paris and back for sightseeing.

      Guess which was cheaper?

      I’ve since moved to Victoria, Australia. There’s a cap on fares – it costs $10 a day, maximum, and for that you can use all public transport in the state to go anywhere you like.

    31. HobGoblin2 on

      I bought a cheap motorbike 5 years ago and haven’t looked back – except that time a car driver waiting at a give way just drove out in front of me and left me with a permanent disability. Now I look every which way and trust nobody. Still, £2 per day to get to work compared to £10 is even better than my journey being cut from 3 hours per day to 1.5 hours, even if the weather is shit.

    32. Logical-Perception19 on

      Rather than the usual ‘boo hiss train operators bad’ the question needs to be ‘why?’ As far as I’m aware none of current train operators have been reporting excessive profits, hell, some have been struggling and will be subject to state ownership. It can’t be labour costs, since comparisons with with wealthy EU countries with better or higher incomes still shows UK rail costs as being more expensive. So where is the money going?