Ever higher rails fares, a problem we don’t need

Rail fares increased over the past decade even faster than house prices, according to the RMT union, which calculated that tickets across the network had increased 57.7% in the decade to January this year.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/aug/13/rail-fares-rise-january

We already have the most expensive rail fares in Europe – on average 40% higher. However for annual season tickets for typical commuter journeys (around 22 miles) our prices are up to 10 times that of comparable journeys on the continent.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2188244/Rail-fare-rises-UK-commuter-train-tickets-10-times-price-European-equivalents.html

In the meantime the real cost of motoring has remained steady or fallen in real terms.

http://economicsonline.co.uk/Market_failures/Road_congestion.html

So what would you choose expensive travel by rail or cheap travel by car? We know what most people in this country do because we have serious congestion and air quality problems.

http://www.cbi.org.uk/business-issues/infrastructure/bold-thinking-roads-report/infographic-traffic-congestion-now-and-in-2035/

At the same time we have so many roads we can’t keep up with the repairs. Have your nearest potholes been filled? Probably not unless you reported them. 

The solution from big business and this government: build more roads. The solution that would actually reduce congestion: make public transport cheaper, more attractive and easy to use.