Rail fares reach high levels

A new report reveals that rail fares in expensive neighbourhoods are much higher than other areas of the UK. The rail operator, First Great Western, which has endured protests from its passengers in the past, is one of the worst offenders of the inflated rail fares.

Norman Baker, who is the spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, said that even the cheaper rail fares are still expensive; with passengers being charged around 70p for every mile they ride. This figure is almost double what other rail operators are charging. The report goes on to say that passengers can expect to pay 25p per mile on Arriva Trains Wales and 27p per mile if they are travelling with Northern Rail.

First Great Western went through a rough patch last year, after a decision to change the timetables for their trains was made. As a result of these changes trains were heavily overcrowded, which produced many angry customers. There were even reports of passengers standing in the toilets, because there was no room in other parts of the trains.

Baker said of the elevated cost of fares, "Why should passengers on First Great Western be forced to pay more than twice as much per mile as those on Arriva Trains or Northern Rail? There can be no justification for this. I am calling on the Office of Rail Regulation to carry out a full investigation."

A spokesperson for First Great Western said that the company was working on improving their services for passengers