Rail commuters face record-breaking fare rises
This article, which also makes a sideswipe at the increasing self determination of the celtic fringes, explains how the rural premium in terms of its travel cost component is due to go up even further – it explains the cost hike challenges facing rural rail commuters.
“The decision to devolve decision on rail fares to Edinburgh and Cardiff has led to huge discrepancies in the fare rises commuters will face in January. InEnglandregulated rail fares, primarily season tickets will go up by an average of five per cent – with some rising by as much as 13 per cent from January. However north of the border the Scottish Government has decided that fare rises charged by Scotrail will average six per cent. In theory fares aroundEdinburghcould increase by a further three per cent but in the past such hikes have never been imposed. Devolution has meant that English commuters have been particularly badly hit as a result of the Coalition’s decision that the fares it controls should rise by three per cent above July’s Retail Price Index; while the Scottish administration has said the average should be only one per cent above RPI.”