LONDON commuters face rail fare rises of nearly 11% in the New Year it emerged today and rail companies have been quick to blame politicians for the price hike.
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“The government is sticking with the previous administration’s policy to cut the taxpayers’ contribution to the overall cost of running the railways,” said Michael Roberts of the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc).
“We know times are tough for many people, but next year’s fare increases will ensure that Britain can continue investing in its railways.”
Atoc announced this morning that fares are to rise by an average of 6.2% in January, but has refused to say what the range around that average will be, leading to speculation that there are some nasty surprises on the way.
Given the reluctance to give details and the fact that the into-London routes are big money-earners, it is expected commuter routes will get the above average end of the stick.
Under the inflation-plus formula agreed between Atoc and the government, the companies will be able to whack up some prices by 10.8%, even more than the feared 10% rise LondonNet reported on last month.
If that sounds bad, it is likely to get worse in January 2012 when the government plans to remove any cap whatsoever on what rail companies can charge.
