Britain has the most expensive railways in Europe, Liberal Democrat research reveals

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 2nd Apr 2007

Central Train

As the publication of the Rail Regulator's report into rail trends shows that complaints about fares are rising, the Liberal Democrats have released research showing that Britain has the most expensive open fares in Europe. Ten pounds will take you over 660 miles in Slovakia, over 200 miles in Italy but only 39 miles in Britain. For the same amount of money, passengers can travel nearly three times that distance in France.

Given the amount of public money spent on the railways, the travelling public need to get a much better deal The biggest rise in complaints over the last year has been about fares and refunds, which is not surprising given that rail fares continue to be the most expensive in Europe. Our railways should be reliable and accessible for everyone, not just those who can afford it.