Campaigners are calling for price caps on long-distance train tickets, as a survey suggests 44% of people are put off from travelling by train by the cost.
Lobby group Campaign for Better Transport (CBT), which made the plea, also wants more cheaper Advance fares to be made available, and for a proportion of tickets at the lowest prices to be put up for sale on the day of travel.
It published a report stating the need for “a better deal for walk-up passengers”.
Ticket options for passengers who need to make long-distance journeys at short notice are “more limited and more costly”, according to the analysis.
This “particularly affects people on low incomes who can least afford high fares”, the report found.
CBT analysed the prices of single tickets for the next train on 10 routes if purchased between 4pm and 4.25pm on Thursday.
Examples found include:
– London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly: £184.70.
– Bristol Temple Meads to Leeds: £113.30.
– Glasgow Central to London Euston: £125.
– Birmingham New Street to Plymouth: £156.70
It emerged earlier this week that a couple from Cornwall who needed to travel to Cheshire to collect a car opted to fly to Manchester via Spain, because the flights only cost £54 each, and they claimed train travel would have set them back up to £200 each.
Some operators make Advance fares – the cheapest tickets, which are tied to a certain time – available on the day of departure for some services, but there are a limited number of these and they tend to run out during high demand.
CBT called on the Government to reform the way long-distance fares are set, to “stop excessive, punitive pricing” for those unable to book early.
It suggested one way of doing this would be to introduce a “reasonable cap on fares” to reduce the difference between the lowest and highest prices, eliminating the “cliff edge when Advance fares go off sale”.
CBT commissioned a survey of 1,102 people across Britain which asked what stops them travelling more by train.
Train travel being too expensive was the most common response (44%).
This was followed by it being more convenient to drive (37%), trains not going where they need to travel to (21%) and trains being too frequently cancelled or delayed (21%).
Some 41% of respondents said cheaper fares overall would make them “significantly” more likely to travel by train.
Michael Solomon Williams of CBT said: “Unaffordable rail fares have been a serious problem for many years, with potential passengers put off taking the train, and existing passengers priced off the railway.
“Whilst there have been some attempts to simplify the fares system, root and branch reform is desperately needed.
“The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) provides an ideal opportunity for the Government to fix fares for good and create a fairer pricing system that provides more of an incentive to choose the train.”
GBR, a new public sector body, is being developed by the Government to overhaul Britain’s railways, including by simplifying ticketing.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are committed to the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation, from delivering better services to simpler ticketing.
“While some of our fare types are among the cheapest in Europe, particularly when booked in advance, we know the labyrinth of fares and prices can be confusing, which is why we want to simplify fares so it’s easier for passengers to find the right ticket for their journey.”