"Ridiculous, disappointing, regrettable": Passengers respond to biggest rail hike in a decade

The largest rise in rail fares in nearly a decade - adding more than £100 to the cost of many season tickets - has been branded ‘disappointing and ridiculous' by passengers and campaigners.

The price hike of up to 3.8pc in England and Wales will mean, for example, that a Liverpool to Manchester season ticket will go up by £104, to £2,864.

It comes as rail operators try to persuade people back on to public transport following the crippling years of the pandemic, and amid an urgent need to tackle congestion and air pollution on the roads.

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John Moorhouse from Travel Watch North West, told the Manchester Evening News : “We are disappointed that we are seeing this increase at a time when rail needs every incentive it can to encourage passengers back after the long couple of years of the pandemic.

“It’s not a good message to send out at a time when we also need to be encouraging people to be more environmentally friendly.

“It’s very regrettable.”

Katie Macdonald from Bromley Cross in Bolton, commutes into the city centre for her job as a facilities manager.

Her reaction to the price hike?

“It’s ridiculous."

“It’s unfair that people are trying to return to work and get back to normal and yet again there is no improvement to services and we’re being penalises. There’s just no rationale.

“What really winds you up is the level of service.

“If it was a fantastic service like you have in Germany you might not mind paying a bit more. But in Germany it’s £1.50 to get anywhere regionally on a basic train.

“Now I have to pay £15.60 just to get a train and tram to Wythenshawe.”

Demand for rail travel is around a third below pre-coronavirus levels