Arriva's Welsh rail unit hiking fares by up to 34 pct - watchdog
LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Arriva Trains Wales (ATW), part of rail and bus group Arriva PLC, is increasing the price of some of its fares by up to 34 pct, according to a passenger watchdog.
Arriva, which provides all local and regional train services in Wales, is abolishing off-peak Super Saver tickets from May 20.
Passenger Focus says the change means travellers wanting to buy their ticket and travel on the same day will have to buy more expensive Saver or standard open tickets instead.
It says a passenger wanting to travel from Bangor to Abergavenny via Newport and back will have to pay 78.70 stg for a Saver instead of the current SuperSaver fare of 58.70 stg - a 34 pct rise. People wanting a return from Holyhead to Bridgend face a 25 pct rise, from 68.80 stg to 86 stg.
Stella Mair Thomas, Passenger Focus board member for Wales, said: 'The majority of passengers want to turn up on the day of travel and go.
'This announcement from ATW means that from May 20, passengers who do not book in advance are effectively facing up to a 34 pct rise in ticket prices.
'This move further erodes the ability to arrive at the station and buy a ticket for immediate travel.'
The watchdog also said it had done a survey that had found people are often not able to buy a ticket due to closed ticket offices or a lack of inspectors.
'Before putting up fares, ATW should ensure they collect all the fares due to them,' the watchdog said.
ATW is encouraging passengers to buy advance-booked tickets, which have to be bought by 6 pm the night before travel.
It says they enable it to control demand on busier trains and are cheaper than SuperSavers.
'At the end of the day, we have to make a profit, but we think the prices we offer for advance-purchase tickets are really good value for money,' a spokeswoman said.
ATW is Arriva's sole UK rail franchise and lasts until 2018. It receives government subsidy, although the amount is contracted to fall during the life of
the franchise. philip.waller@thomson.com paw/tc
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