RMT reveals cost of commuting by rail into London

Rail union RMT has today reiterated its call for public ownership of the railways, as it emerged that commuters into London – unlike commuters into other European capital cities - are being treated as nothing more than self-loading cash-cows by private train companies . Figures released by the union this morning show that like for like comparisons with other cities reveal that London commuters are being hit with ‎fare hikes up to four times the rate across the Channel.
 
The Secretary of State for Transport has said that fares will be increased in January by no more than the rate of inflation (as published on 15 August). However, as the rate of inflation is predicted to come in at between 3 and 4 per cent, passengers will still face big increases.
 
The union points out that commuters travelling on services into London are shelling out multiples of what their counterparts elsewhere in the EU are paying for similar length journeys on the continent into EU capitals. For example:
 
•    Passengers travelling from Basildon to London (around 27 miles) pay £264.60 per month, whereas passengers in Belgium travelling from Antwerp to Brussels (around 28 miles) pay £127.80 (143 Euros) per month.
This suggests commuting into the Belgian capital costs around half of the amount it does to commute into London.
 
•    Passengers travelling from Maidstone to London (around 35 miles) pay £412.50 per month, whereas passengers in Germany travelling from Luckenwalde to Berlin (around 36 miles) pay £99.80 (111.67 Euros) per month.
This suggests commuting into the German capital costs around a quarter of the amount it does to commute into London.
 
•    Passengers travelling from Milton Keynes to London (around 48.5 miles) pay £482.70 per month, whereas passengers in Italy travelling from Orte to Rome (around 50 miles) pay £116 (130 Euros) per month.
This suggests commuting into the Italian capital costs around a quarter of the amount it does to commute into London.
 
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“Anger is mounting over the government’s indifference to the plight of commuters and rightly so.‎ The way that this minority ad‎ministration turns a blind eye to the great British rail rip-off is an absolute disgrace.

“It is a national scandal that UK passengers pay the largest proportion of their salaries in the EU just for travelling to and from work and are forced to endure unreliable and rammed out trains as part of the deal.

“It is time that the government stopped foreign rail companies treating commuters as a bovine herd to be packed in and routinely milked with the proceeds shipped abroad to keep fares down in other European cities. The only solution to this racket is public ownership."
 
Ends

Notes

The rate of RPI inflation for the year to July 2017, due to be announced by the Office for National Statistics at 9:30am on Tuesday 15 August, will set the increase in regulated fares, which will come in from January 2018.

Below is a sample of current monthly season ticket prices for passengers on lines into London, contrasted with comparable journeys on the continent:

Comparison with people living around 26/27 miles out of the capital

Basildon to London Fenchurch Street monthly season ticket

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/seasonticket/search

[select standard, select adult]

Antwerp to Brussels monthly season ticket

http://www.belgianrail.be/en/travel-tickets/season-tickets/section-season-ticket.aspx

[select second class]

Comparison with people living around 35/36 miles out of the capital

Maidstone East/ West/ Barracks to London Charing Cross/ All Terminals monthly season ticket

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/seasonticket/search

[select standard, select adult]

Luckenwalde to Berlin

https://www.bahn.de/p/view/angebot/pendler/verkehrsverbuende/berlin_brbg/vbb_abo.shtml[In the first free text box type Luckenwalde, Am Bergwall

In the second free text box type Berlin, Aalemannufer

The first option Berlin + TF + Berlin Tarifbereich A-B-C + 1 Lkr lists the cheapest fare]

Comparison with people living around 48.5/50 miles out of the capital

Milton Keynes Central to London Euston/ Terminals monthly season ticket

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/seasonticket/search

[select standard, select adult]

Orte to Rome monthly season ticket

http://www.trenitalia.com/ 

[select abonnamenti e carnet,

then select subscription

In the first free text box, type Orte

In the second free text box type Roma (Tutte Le Stazione)

For duration, select monthly]