Fewer than half of commuters in Great Britain think train fare value for money

Fewer than half of rail commuters in Great Britain think their train fare is value for money, a national passenger survey has found. Travellers on the CrossCountry long-distance rail service were the least satisfied overall, according to the research by the passenger watchdog Transport Focus . The findings came alongside news that passenger journey numbers had reached a record high of 1.83bn in the last year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Transport Focus said that while most passengers were happy with their journey, there was a “striking gap” between the best and the worst train operators. Only 49% of commuters were satisfied with the fare they paid, compared with 67% of leisure travellers who regarded it as providing value for money. Of more than 100,000 passengers questioned immediately after their journey, 87% were satisfied with their overall experience. That fell to 79% for CrossCountry customers, with the majority dissatisfied with how the train operator had dealt with delays. CrossCountry runs long-distance trains on several routes from southern England to the north and Scotland via Birmingham. Transport Focus has urged it to improve passenger information during disruption and tackle overcrowding on services. …