First £1,000 rail fare revealed

Wed Nov 4 2009 08:03:06

It has been revealed that the rise in the cost of train tickets has led to the first £1,000 rail fare.

The fare - of £1,002 - is for a turn-up-and-go, first-class return from Newquay in Cornwall to the Kyle of Lochalsh in the Scottish Highlands. The trip would cover around 1,700 miles, with tickets available from the CrossCountry train company.

The price was unearthed in a survey of fares by rail expert Barry Doe, whose research also showed that some standard-class, turn-up-and go return fares have risen 100 per cent in price since the mid-1990s.

A London-to-Manchester return, for example, has gone up from £33 in 1995 to £66.10, while a London-to-Newcastle upon Tyne return has risen 84 per cent to £105.

Cat Hobbs, public transport campaigner for the Campaign for Better Transport, said today: "The Newquay £1,000 fare shows just how pricey and complicated the fare structure is. We think fares in this country are far too expensive. They are the most expensive in Europe. We think the Government should step in and review how they regulate fares."

A spokesman for CrossCountry said: "No-one has actually bought this £1,000 fare but it does exist. Someone wanting a first-class return would be likely to book a saver return in advance and pay £561."

Under an annual inflation rate price formula, regulated fares (which include season tickets) will actually go down in January as retail price index inflation is in negative territory.

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