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Just as things seemed to couldn’t improve, the train system has once again been affected by strikes, causing an increase in rail fares. Commuters traveling between Peterborough and London have already experienced 20 months of frequent strikes by dissatisfied rail workers, along with frequent issues with the track, signals, and overhead wires. And now, they are waking up to the news that the annual cost of a season ticket has gone up by more than £450.
The government claims that the situation could have been much worse. Every year, for reasons that are not clear, the annual fare increase is determined based on the retail price index from the previous July. Last summer, the increase was set at 9%, which would have resulted in a loss of £825 for disillusioned commuters. However, the increase has been reduced to “only” 4.9%, meaning that an anytime ticket from Bristol to Cardiff or Leeds to Manchester will only go up £1. Some may argue that this slightly arbitrary figure was strategically chosen for political purposes, allowing ministers to boast a nearly 50% decrease in the increase while keeping it under 5%.
Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the largest rail labor union, criticized the fare hike as a “disappointment” for commuters. He argued that the significant increase in fares only highlights the ongoing failure of the divided and privatized railway industry. However, it is worth noting that the railway system is no longer fragmented and privatized. Due to the impact of Covid, the railways are essentially under national ownership. The government dictates the operations and fare prices of train operators, many of which are owned by the government itself.
The government, as well as Labour, are aware (I hope) that moving the fares needle by a few degrees this way or that is simply avoiding, and exacerbating, the real problem with rail fares. The whole system is rotten, unfair and full of anomalies. Between Bristol and London, for example, nobody who’s aware of “split ticketing” would ever dream of buying a ticket straight through. Much better to deploy the Didcot Dodge and save £40 by buying one ticket to Didcot Parkway and another from there. No need to change trains. So rife are such opportunities that Trainline (a private company) is running an ad campaign extolling the virtues of split ticketing. Meanwhile, prospective travellers perceive a baffling system full of traps designed to rip them off, and find another way to reach their destination. And I don’t blame them.
Those who are passionate about the future of train travel recognize that the complex and confusing ticketing system needs to be replaced with a simpler “single-leg” ticket option. Currently, passengers who want to return the next day or make a detour to visit a cathedral or relative can end up paying almost double the fare. Despite these high prices, the railway system is still heavily subsidized, costing taxpayers £250 per second. In a three-minute interview with BBC Radio 4’s PM program on Friday, another £45,000 of public funds were poured into the seemingly endless financial pit of the railway.
There are good examples of proper conduct and future plans available. On days when the Northern train service is operating, I often purchase a ticket for a specific train while walking to the station in Blackpool or Bridlington. This is because my previous experiences have shown that the Northern app provides fair prices. The ticket is marked as an “Advance” ticket, but it can be bought just 10 minutes before departure, meaning you do not need extraordinary foresight to get a good deal.
Our current system is not meeting everyone’s needs and there is a lack of consensus on necessary changes. So why are we hesitant to make them? The Treasury, which disapproves of the large amounts of money being put into the railway system, is concerned that subsidies may need to increase. It is evident that streamlining efforts will result in significant fare increases for some routes. No government official wants to be in the spotlight for tripling the current cheapest fare from Manchester to Stockport (currently only 70p). However, fares must increase for some routes while others decrease, or our railway system will not be sustainable.
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