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Permalink Reply by Donald Smith on December 2, 2016 at 13:59

the information above relates to what are known as "regulated fares"

"unregulated fares" will increase at 2.3%

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Permalink Reply by Donald Smith on December 3, 2016 at 15:53

If you are indignant at  a fares increase of 2.3% for "unregulated fares", be aware of the news story in The Guardian published on 2nd December

While regulated fares such as season tickets and off-peak returns, which are set by the government, are to increase by 1.9%, fares on Virgin Trains East Coast will increase by 4.9% overall.

The rail firm said that would be hiking the fares it controls by an average of around 5.5%.

An off-peak (walk up) single from London to Edinburgh on the east coast line, which now costs £128.20, will be £137.20 – 7% more – in January, while a London-to-Newcastle single (walk up fare )also goes up 7% to £131.70......

Virgin will also be raising the average train fares it controls on its west coast intercity service from London to Manchester and Glasgow, with overall fares rising by 2.4%.

Fares will also rise by an average of 2.4% on First Group’s Great Western Railway. The German-owned Arriva has not responded to confirm the overall fare rises on its franchises, but some long-distance anytime fares on its Cross Country appear to be rising sharply: for example Bristol to Darlington will be 4.8% more expensive, at £149 for a single.

On some franchises, such as Govvia Thameslink Railway – including Southern – Southeastern, Greater Anglia and National Express’s C2C, fares set by the operator will actually slightly trail the government’s increase next year, with average fares rising by 1.8% on each. East Midland and South West fares will rise by 1.5%. First’s TransPennine Express said it would freeze advance fares, meaning an overall rise of 1.4%.

Virgin said it was tackling “historic anomalies” and would be making 10,000 more discounted advance fares available every week on the east coast line for those booking ahead. It said that despite the 2017 rises, “standard anytime” tickets on long distance journeys were still 4% cheaper than when Virgin Trains took over the franchise in March 2015.

However, it has already been accused of making several “stealth hikes” to fares – including removing some of the cheapest advance fares in the first few months after it took over the franchise.

The rail firm – a partnership between Richard Branson’s Virgin and the transport group Stagecoach – won the franchise in March 2015, when it wascontroversially reprivatised by the coalition government after more than five years of operation in the public sector.

Passenger numbers have not risen in line with projections from the time of the bid, leaving the operator struggling to meet the £3.3bn in premiums it has promised to pay the Treasury by 2023, with the bulk of that due in the later years of the eight-year franchise.

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