Norwich passengers to pay more to travel by train
Train passengers in Norwich will have to pay more to travel from next year after it was announced fares would rise in January.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said the cost of train tickets would rise by an average of 6.2pc in the new year.
ATOC says that above inflation fare rises are the result of a change in government policy in recent years which has sought to sustain investment in the railways by reducing the amount that taxpayers contribute and requiring passengers to pay more.
According to the Office of Rail Regulation the average price paid for a single journey is currently �4.89; applying the 6.2pc increase to this would see the average single fare rise to �5.19 in January.
But all the region's main train operators have announced that their fare increases will be below the average price announced by ATOC.
A spokesman for National Express East Anglia, which operates out of Norwich, said: 'National Express East Anglia train fares will rise by an average of 5.9pc in January. These increases reflect government policy in helping to sustain continued investment in the railways.'
The spokesman said customers would be able to obtain details of specific fares when they become available via the National Rail Enquiries and train station companies website in the next few days.
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Chloe Smith, Norwich North MP, said the fares increases must be accompanied by an improvement in services from the operator. She said: 'National Express must put its money where its mouth is. Passengers, both business and leisure alike are desperate for improvements to the service and for many these improvements will be far too late, considering the disruption they have faced in recent times.'
Meanwhile East Midlands Trains announced that the average fare on its network, which includes services from Norwich to Nottingham and Liverpool, was to rise by 5.6pc.
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