Britain rail fare rises come into effect

Inflation-busting rail fare rises came into effect on Wednesday in Britain, with ticket prices rising 3.9 percent on average. Regulated fares, which include season tickets, are up by an average of 4.2 percent. Train companies can hike some season tickets by more than 4.2 percent as long as the overall average does not exceed that figure. The cost of a season ticket between Leeds and Wakefield has gone up the most, rising 6.16 percent from £908 to £964. Transport minister Norman Baker said the government had lowered fare rises planned for January 2013 and January 2014 from Retail Price Index plus three percent to RPI plus one percent. "We are engaged in the biggest rail investment programme since the 19th century and it is only right that the passenger, as well as the taxpayer, contributes towards that," he said. "In the longer term, we are determined to reduce the cost of running the railways so that we can end the era of above-inflation fare rises." The Association of Train Operating Companies said it accepted that nobody liked paying more for their journey. But it added that railway funding could only come from taxpayers or from passengers "and the government's policy remains that a bigger share must come from people who use the train".