Train fare rises: The worst value rail journeys in Britain revealed as London to Newcastle, London to Edinburgh and London to Leeds
A new study has revealed which rail journeys offer the worst value for money compared with the cost of driving – and some of the routes are even slower than going the distance in four wheels.
A return trip from London to Newcastle costs nearly £159 more than travelling by car, making it the worst value trip in the country. London to Edinburgh was second, costing an extra £150, followed by London to Leeds, which cost an extra £133.
The research, carried out by Kwik Fit Insurance Services for the Press Association, found that a number of routes were actually slower than driving, with a 76-minute route from Birmingham to Norwich topping the list. Glasgow to Leeds (54 minutes) and Glasgow to York (44 minutes) came second and third respectively.
[infographic id="484"]
But while some managed to shave off a few minutes, they were still deemed to be relatively poor value, with a return between Leeds and Cardiff reducing the journey time by just 10 minutes, at an additional cost of £72.
The study was based on the price of an off-peak return train ticket for journeys from London, Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central and Leeds, as well as the average cost of fuel for a hatchback, saloon and four-by-four car.
Rail fares rose by 1.1 per cent at the start of this year, prompting a protest outside King's Cross station, which was attended by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Campaigners claim that the UK has the highest fares in Europe, with British commuters spending on average six-times as much as their counterparts in Italy, Spain, France and Germany.