Britain’s rail fares are three times higher than the rest of Europe, according to a new report by the TSSA transport union.
The journey between Manchester and London is the most expensive inter city route in Europe, costing customers £109.50 for a single standard ticket (equivalent to 34p per kilometre for the 321km trip) .
According to campaigners the high costs of rail travel are forcing commuters off the railways and back into their cars .
General secretary of the TSSA, Gerry Doherty said, "We have the most expensive railway in Europe, and unless ministers act to enforce affordable fares, we will soon have a system that will be the preserve of only the middle classes."
"In the rest of Europe, we have a publicly owned system that has family friendly fares, and is supported by the whole population, young and old alike."
"We need lower fares and a ticket structure that everyone can understand."
The Travel union produced a comparison table for the Britain and the rest of Europe, and as predicted the UK’s prices were the dearest out of all countries included.
For example in Spain, a longer single journey from Madrid to Barcelona costs only £63 for a distance of 623 kilometres, which equals 10p per kilometre.
In Germany, a standard single fare for the 588 kilometre journey, between Berlin and Bonn, costs £63, or 11p per kilometre.
In France, the fare from Paris to Calais (a journey similar in length to the Manchester to London route) works out at just 10p a km. It is also nearly twice as fast, taking around half the time.
The Department for Transport hit back saying comparisons were misleading as 80 per cent of passengers in Britain bought discounted tickets.
"Passenger numbers continue to increase, with more than 1 billion using the network in the last year," it added.
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UKs Rail Travel Costs Higher Than Rest Of Europe Wed, 03 Jan 2007      Recommended linksOnline resource for finding a holidayFind low cost flights to your destination Compare deals from travel insurance companies Find great value cruises Launch Of New Global Rail Website New guide to explain hidden travel costs |
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