Huge price increases for off-peak fares on the new summer timetable could force passengers off trains and into cars, says a rail watchdog lobby group.
South West Trains” (SWT) decision to hike its cheap day return tickets to London by 20% has angered Passenger Focus, who maintain that the rail operator has selectively targeted routes.
”We have complained to SWT about these unacceptable rises, but they refuse to back down,” said Passenger Focus chief executive, Anthony Smith. ”We believe SWT is exploiting its monopoly as they have not put up fares on journeys where it faces competition.”
SWT has countered that the measure is necessary to ease serious overcrowding in the period just after the 10am threshold, but a clue to the steep rise may come from commercial director, Bruce Akhurst”s observation that: ”The fares are necessary both to enable us to meet our new franchise commitments to the Department for Transport (DfT) and attempt to tackle the ”second peak” of passengers currently arriving into London on trains just after the morning rush hour.”
Passenger Focus says that SWT”s new ten-year franchise that started in February, is expected to generate ”1.2bn ($2.37bn) at net present value to the DfT during the next decade.
The new, post cheap day return fare, available from midday or later, will be known as ”Super Off-Peak” and, says SWT, will be around 3% more expensive than the old price level. Addressing the route competition issue, an SWT spokeswoman told ABTN: ”We look at other train operating companies ” that is just one factor.
”When we work out prices, there are many issues ” it”s a very complicated process and it is giving people options to say, is it important to get into London for a certain time?”
Passenger Focus has slated the proposals however, arguing that the move will discourage those on poorer incomes from being able to travel into London. ”We have had quite a lot of passengers getting in touch with us, such as those on lower incomes, the elderly and students, as well as those on part time work, who say they can”t afford 20% increases,” a spokeswoman said, talking to ABTN.
”This is pretty shocking especially when the fares went up in January by between 4% and 5%.”
The lobby group however, does concede that SWT is undergoing ”massive growth” with ”huge overcrowding problems” and is calling for longer and more frequent trains to combat congestion.
Akhurst noted that passenger counts reveal that trains arriving just after 10:00 are more than twice as crowded as those that come into London during the previous half hour of the peak. ”We can”t run more trains or add extra coaches without affecting the present peak-hour services, so we want to encourage those who can, to travel earlier or later,” he said.
But it is not only those travelling during off-peak periods who will be hit. SWT has also significantly increased its First Class Day and First Class Season Ticket fares by between 15% and 20%. ”First Class travel forms only a small part of our business, but it has become apparent that in some cases, demand is outstripping supply,” said Akhurst.
”Adding more First Class seats on the busiest trains is not an option, but this move, together with clamping down on fraudulent travel, means that First Class passengers are more likely to get a seat.”
Passenger Focus has also called for train companies to be imaginative with incentives for passengers to travel outside the ”peak of peak” with early or late travellers being rewarded, using smart cards.
Some half a million passengers commute into work in London every day, with 70,000 of these having to stand during the morning peak.