25th anniversary of railway privatisation study

On the 25th anniversary of The Railway Act of 1993 – that led to the privatisation of the railways – and the day before rail season tickets are due to rise in price by 3.6% and fares on average by 3.4% a new RMT study has found that:

 

•        Tomorrows increase of 3.6% on season tickets is over 50% more than the increase in earnings over the last year alone

 

•        Rail fares have increased 5 times the rate of public sector pay awards and at twice the speed of average earnings since 2010

 

•        The average commuter pays over 10% their net income on fares, with some commuters paying as much as 20%

 

•        Commuter rail travel is now a pipe dream for those on low incomes. If you are on the National Living Wage you could spend on average 20% of your wages on fares

 

The figures were revealed as fare protests organised by the RMT were to take place at forty stations around the country when passengers return to work on 2nd January.

 

At many locations tomorrow RMT members will be handing out chocolates to commuters to at least sweeten the bitter pill of the fare rises.

 

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said,

 

“It’s another New Year and yet another hike in fares for passengers. These eye watering increases will make it even harder for workers to get by.

 

“Whilst workers are struggling the private train companies are raking it in. As we enter the 25th year anniversary of railway privatisation legislation the need for public ownership of rail has never been more popular or necessary".

 

 

List of protests is below

 

Station

Bridgewater 07.00 - 0900 and Weston Super-Mare 07.00-09.00

Berwick upon Tweed 10.00-1200

Birmingham New Street 07:00-09:00 and 16:30-18:00

Birmingham Snow Hill 16:00-18:00

Bournemouth 8.00-10.00

Brighton 07.30-14.30

Bristol Temple Meads 07.00-09.00

Cardiff Central 07.00-09.00

Carlisle Citadel  06.15 - 0900

Chelmsford  (tbc)

Chester 07.00 - 09.00

Colchester North 06:30-09:30

Euston station 09.00-10.30

Hove 7.30-14.30

Ipswich 07:00-11:00

Kings Cross 08.00-09.30

Lancaster 16:00-18:00

Leeds City 06:00-10:00

Lewisham 07:30-09:360

Lime Street 07.30-09.30

Manchester Piccadilly 07.30-09.30

Moorfields 7.30-09.30

Newcastle Central 07.30-09.00

Nottingham 07.00-9.30

Nuneaton  0700-0900

Paddington 07.00-09.00

Plymouth 07.00 - 09.00

Portslade 07.30-14.30

Portsmouth Southsea 16.30-18.30

Reading 07.00-09.00

St Leonards Warrior Square 17.30-19.30

Stockport Station 07.30-09.00

Ulverston Station 06.30 -0930

Walsall 07:00-09:00 & 16:30-18:00

Warrington Central 07:00-09:00 & Warrington Bank Quay 16:00-18:00

Waterloo  08-10.00

Watford Junction 07.00-09.00

York 07:30-09:00 & 16:00-18:00

 

SCOTLAND (3rd January )

Edinburgh 16.00-18.00

Glasgow  tbc

Dunbar  08.00- 10.00

North Berwick 08.00- 10.00

Inverkeithing tbc

Dunfermline tbc

Kirkcaldy 630 -830

 

 

ENDS

 

Notes for Editors

 

Since the public sector pay freeze and cap came into effect for the 2011 pay round, rail fares have increased by 24.5% almost five times the rate of public sector pay which has risen by 5.1% over the same period.

 

Twice the rate of wages source here AWE figure October 2017 (column KAC2) https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/averageweeklyearningsearn01/current/earn01dec2017.xls

 

List of key fare rises as proportion of national income attached as spreadsheet