UK train fares are expected to rise by 3.5 percent in January, with official figures to be published on Wednesday.
The increase, which could add a £200 bill for long-distance commuters, was made as new research has shown commuter satisfaction plummet in the last decade.
A survey by the consumer body Which? has revealed the train industry was the UK’s second least-trusted consumer industry. According to the data, consumer satisfaction with train operators has fallen ten percent from 72 percent ten years ago.
Which said: “In fact, this makes train travel one of the least-trusted consumer industries, beaten to last place only by car dealers.”
Peter Vicary-Smith, Which?’s chief executive, said: ‘With persistent poor service, delays, cancellations and the hassle of getting compensation for journeys, it’s unsurprising that trust in the rail industry has been consistently low and only getting worse.
“Passengers expect increased satisfaction to come with the hike in their ticket prices, not a decade of disappointment and unprecedented disruption like many faced this year. If the rail system is to start working for passengers, the government must step in to ensure they are automatically compensated for delays and cancellations, and the new Rail Ombudsman must be up and running as soon as possible so passenger complaints don’t continue to go unheard.”
Train fares saw a rise by 3.6 percent rise in January, the highest increase in five years.
Campaigners have called for a fare freeze and nationalisation. A Campaign for Better Transport spokesman said: “Given the mess surrounding the new timetable, the lack of improvements and the failure to deliver compensation, the Government cannot go on telling passengers that fare increases are justified.”