Rail prices on the up for third time

The Swindon-based train operator has announced increases of between £1 and £2 to certain fares between London Paddington and South Wales, the Cotswolds and the South West.

And charges are also set to rise in the station's car park, in Station Road.

The firm claims only a quarter of fares will be affected, when the new timetable is introduced on September 28.

But the Rail Passengers Committee has expressed its disappointment.

Season ticket holders, who pay £127.50 per week or £5,100 per year to travel to London, will not be affected. Nor will people using saver tickets.

But open tickets which are valid for a month and may be used on any service are set to rise by up to 2.5 per cent.

But first class open tickets, currently priced at £100 return to London, will cost £102, and standard open tickets, at £60 return, will go up to £62.

Customers travelling west to Taunton pay £85 for a first class open return and £54 for standard open return.

Both these services will increase by £1.

The car park costs £5.20 for 24 hours. This will increase to £5.80 during the week, but motorists will save at the weekend when it drops to just £2.

Tax advisor Andrew Robins, who travels from Swindon to London Paddington at least once a fortnight, believes commuters have no choice but to pay up.

Mr Robins, 36, who drives from Cheltenham and leaves his car in the station car park, said: "The train company has you over a barrel. The trouble is it's a seller's market.

"People want and need to get into London so they have to pay what is being asked. I don't think the fare increases make a blindest bit of difference to the service.

"I'll also be affected by the car park price increase. I feel resigned to it rather than angry."

FGW attributed the fare increase to recent improvements which have including spending £7m in extra on-train and station staff, opening Swindon's new platform and a new joint control room with Network Rail.

RPC chairman Christopher Irwin said: "FGW should be concerned that the Spring 2003 National Passenger Survey showed that despite improvements on a number of indicators they now have the lowest rating for value for money of any long distance operators.

"These increases are hardly likely to improve this."

But FGW said that commuters continue to get a good deal, and that the company's fully flexible fares will still be cheaper per mile than other long distance train operators or driving.

First Great Western's Managing Director, Chris Kinchin-Smith said, "Our continued investment in our trains, our stations and our people is paying off.

"The Strategic Rail Authority shows customer satisfaction levels rose six per cent in the last year. But we know that we still have much to do to improve matters further.

"Limited fare rises will help provide the sustained and consistent investment needed for that improvement to continue."

FGW spokesman Tim Bowcock said: "We have tried to minimize the fare increase but we do need to continue with investment in the rail network.

"We kept the value fares the same to ensure people are still making a saving."

Rail fares were previously increased in January and May of this year.

nWelders were called out to a cracked railway line in Shrivenham at 8.30am yesterday.

Callum Collins, spokesman for Network Rail, attributed the crack to general wear and tear.

"Lines become worn, which is one of the main reasons we are having to do work in Slough.

"No trains were cancelled but some services were delayed."

The fault in Shrivenham was discovered by the track circuit system, which detects the absence of a train from a section on the line and registers the break in the electric circuit. It was repaired by 11.30am.