Rail commuters set for another year of fare misery and service cuts, unions warn

date: 1 January 2013

embargo: 00:01 hours Wednesday 2 January 2013

As people prepare for the first day back to work, rail campaigners are today (Wednesday) warning that commuters face yet another year of inflation-busting fare increases and service cuts.

Train fares will increase by 3.9 per cent, on average, from today with some passengers facing hikes of up to 10 per cent on their journeys, says the TUC.

Research published last month by the TUC's Action for Rail campaign shows that average train fares have risen nearly three times faster than average wages since the beginning of the recession in 2008.

The huge disparity between fare and wage increases means that a family of four (two adults and two children) looking to travel to London on an anytime ticket from Swansea, Plymouth, Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle in 2013 would have to pay than the average weekly wage of £481.

As well as being asked to pay more passengers also face the prospect of ticket office closures and fewer staff on trains and stations.

Train operators are expected to make significant cuts to jobs in 2013 in an attempt to find £3.5bn savings across the rail industry by 2018/19 - a target set by the government in response to the McNulty Review published last year.

Train operators have already begun to implement ticket office closures and seem keen on speeding up the process, warns the TUC.

Earlier this month, Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies, called on the government to scrap the regulations that currently require passengers to be consulted over ticket office opening hours and station closures.

Passenger surveys consistently demonstrate that the travelling public want more staff on trains and at stations and currently over half of the tickets purchased nationally are through face-to-face contact with ticket office or train staff.

TUC General Secretary and chair of Action for Rail Frances O'Grady said: 'I understand the frustration felt by many commuters going back to work today. At a time when real wages are falling and household budgets are being squeezed, rail travellers are being forced to endure yet another year of inflation-busting fare increases.

'As well as having to shell out record amounts of money for their tickets, passengers also face the prospect of travelling on trains with fewer staff and having less access to ticket offices. They are being asked to pay much more for less.'

ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan said: 'Over a year ago, when he was the transport secretary, Philip Hammond warned that the cost of tickets was making the railways 'a rich man's toy'.

'Ever since then the government has stood idly by as fares have rocketed. Is this their solution to over-crowded trains - pricing the poor off the rails so the rich can sit comfortably?'

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: 'As passengers return from the festive break they will be kicked in the teeth with inflation-busting fare increases that will do nothing other than fatten the profits of the greedy train operators. 2013 will the year that the fight to re-nationalise the railways goes into overdrive.'

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: 'The coalition is squeezing rail passengers until the pips squeak with the latest inflation-plus increase.

'Ministers have increased regulated rail fares by 16 per cent in what they admit is the age of austerity. We now have the highest fares in Europe and the government plans to hike them above inflation every year until at least 2019 if it wins the next election.'

Unite national officer Julia Long said: 'Today's inflation-busting rail fare rise is a smack in the face for the country's commuters, already stung by this government's out-of-control austerity. It is not even as if rail travellers will be getting more for their money, as rail operators are slashing staff numbers and closing ticket offices too.

'The government should be doing more to stop this blatant profiteering by rail operators and get serious about curbing sky-high rail fares.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- Between 2008 and 2012 average rail fares increased by 26.6 per cent, with average wages rising by just 9.6 per cent over the same period - well below the rate of inflation.

- The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast that average wages will grow by 2.3 per cent and that inflation will rise by 2.5 per cent in 2013 - well below the average 3.9 per cent increase in train fares.

- Action for Rail is a campaign involving the TUC and its affiliated unions with members working on the railways - ASLEF, RMT, TSSA and Unite. Its aim is to work with passenger groups, rail campaigners and environmentalists to campaign against cuts to rail services and staffing and to promote the case for integrated, national rail under public ownership. For more information please visit www.actionforrail.org

- Action for Rail analysis of Sir Roy McNulty's Rail Value for Money study indicates that over 20,000 jobs across the rail industry could be at risk as a result of proposals to cut staff costs http://actionforrail.org/is-sir-roy-getting-his-job-figures-in-a-twist/

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

- The TUC's offices are closed for the Christmas and New Year break from close of play on Friday 21 December and will re-open again on Wednesday 2 January 2013. The duty media officers over this time are:

Saturday 22 to Tuesday 25 December - Nigel Stanley M: 07831 735844 E: nstanley@tuc.org.uk

Wednesday 26 December to Saturday 29 December - Rob Holdsworth M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk

Sunday 30 December to Monday 1 January 2013 - Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk