Rail Fare rip off, says Robinson

6.00.00pm GMT Wed 23rd Mar 2005

Stephen with Simon Hughes MP at Chelmsford Station. "Rail Fares here are the highest in Europe."

New figures showing Britain's railways are the most expensive in Europe make this year's inflation-busting rail fares look even more unfair, says Stephen Robinson, West Chelmsford's Liberal Democrat candidate. Rail passengers travelling on 'One' Rail Company faced increases of around 4% this year.

Our rail travellers are being forced to pay today, for a promise of improvements tomorrow. Rail fares have been held down in the past because of poor service. Now commuters are going to have to pay for bad management and years of under-investment, with no guarantees of a better service.

"Britain's railways are already the most expensive in Europe, with research by the Liberal Democrats revealing that £10 will only take passengers 25 miles on the UK railway system. A tenner goes further on most European railways. You can travel more than seven times as far in Italy, and over four times as far in Portugal for the same money. In the Czech Republic you can travel over 10 times as far on the railway as you can in the UK. Yet with this year's fare rises the gap looks like it will widen further still.

The question that the Government and 'One' Rail Company must answer is: How many years will we see inflation-busting fare rises before our railways are safe, reliable and affordable?