Liberal Democrats call for inquiry into rail fare rises in Suffolk

2.10.55pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 10th Aug 2007

New research from the Liberal Democrats reveals that the most expensive train companies in Britain charge more than four times as much per mile as the cheapest.

Research reveals:

· £10 takes you 118 miles on Merseyrail with a standard saver return, but only 52 miles on One Railways.

· Excluding airport shuttle services, One Railways is the 5th most expensive in the country.

· On average, open single fares are twice the price per mile of saver return fares, with £10 only getting you 26 miles on One Railways.

Commenting, Suffolk County Council Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Kathy Pollard said, "There is clearly a huge price disparity between the cheapest and most expensive fares. There should be an urgent inquiry into the cost of unregulated fares, to stop passengers paying even more per mile in the future. How do ministers expect to get people out of their cars and onto public transport when using the railways is so expensive?

People in Suffolk are paying for rail tickets which are the 5th most expensive in the UK, yet we're constantly faced with delays and poor quality service. Rail companies should look at introducing more flexible rail fares, to take account of how people travel within the UK and allow them to better compete with air travel.

The government's rail white paper last month was vague and unambitious. The Conservatives have nothing to offer our rail services - it was their botched privatisation that is largely responsible for the current combination of high fares and underinvestment. Only the Liberal Democrats have proposals which will see more investment in our railways."