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Friday 4 January 2013

British travellers frustrated with rise in rail fares

Over half less likely to travel by train for a UK holiday as a result

On returning back to work following the Christmas break, many of us will have been faced with a hike in rail fares – a harsh reality given the fact that January can be a tough month after the expense of Christmas.

The average fare reportedly rose by 4.2% and many commuters will now be faced with a hefty increase in their annual ticket price.

But it’s not just commuters who are riled by the price hike; we at TripAdvisor polled our users and found that while the increase in rail fares tends to mainly affect passengers who purchase seasonal tickets for travelling into work, British travellers are put off using trains for UK holidays as a result of the rise.

The poll of over 5,000* British travellers revealed that over half of respondents (52%) are less likely to travel by train for a UK holiday. In addition, the poll revealed that a further 35% would not consider travelling by train anyway regardless of the fares rise.

“While it may be a case of perception, British travellers are clearly frustrated with the ever-rising cost of travelling on the UK’s rail network,” commented Emma Shaw, TripAdvisor spokesperson. This increase in fares may mean that the stay-cation loses its appeal and travellers opt for a holiday abroad with a low-cost flight to get them there. This will be a shame for our tourism industry which has seen such a boost following the 2012 ‘Jubilympics’.”

* Survey carried out on 5,332 British Travellers, between 17th August – 24th August 2012.