Commuters dread train fare hikes

From the The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, first published Wednesday 12th Dec 2007.

NEWS of a train ticket price hike in the New Year has been met with a barrage of complaints from rail users in Chippenham.

Train giant First Great Western has announced that the price increases, as much as £30 for monthly tickets, will come into force as early as January.

Weekly season tickets to London from Chippenham will leap from £171.40 this month to £188.10 next month.

Passengers using the monthly season tickets will have to pay £689.70 compared to the £658.20 they currently pay.

The company has said it has been forced to hike up prices after being faced with rising costs and the delivery of a £200million investment.

First Great Western's chief operating officer Andrew Haines said: "Our investment includes achieving major carbon footprint reductions, more seats, new train interiors on High Speed Trains and refreshed interiors on local trains.

"We are also improving stations and employing more staff."

Timetable changes that are coming to force throughout the country will not affect Chippenham.

Passengers in Chippenham have spoken of their outrage at having to fork out more money to use public transport.

Mum of one Christine Baker, 44, from Pewsham has to use the trains each day to get to work in central London.

She said: "It's laughable that the government are still trying to persuade us to the use public transport when the prices keep sky rocketing.

"I cannot believe they have to go up again - I remember when they were pushed up last year.

"I don't see why First Great Western doesn't just save money from doing up the stations and keeps the price of travel down."

A spokesperson from First Great Western added: "We didn't put up prices at all in 2007 and this is just the natural course of things."

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