Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the average price of train tickets in the UK compared to the average price of train tickets in Europe.

Great Britain has one of widest ranges of fare prices in Europe making assessments on the “average price” difficult. While we have some fares that are more expensive than our European neighbours, we also have some fares types for which we are among the cheapest – particularly when booked in advance. Many long distance walk up day returns for travel within specified times and cheap Advance single fares are low when compared to equivalent European fares. It is also important to put the price of fares into context against the service provided, including aspects such as flexibility and speed. In this respect, the UK has some of the most frequent services in Europe for commuters.