Return rail fare 'hiked' by 170%

Central says it is the first price increase on the route since 1997

Central Trains has abolished cheap day return tickets on journeys of more than 50 miles, causing one fare effectively to soar by about 170%.

Passengers travelling from Birmingham to Peterborough now have to pay £32.10, instead of £11.90, unless they book their tickets in advance.

The company said the policy brings its fares in line with prices for day return tickets on its other routes.

A rail passengers' group called the move "arbitrary and absurd".

Central Trains' head of communications Rachel Webster told BBC Five Live that the company had withdrawn cheap day returns on five routes where the distance of the journey was more than 50 miles.

She denied that prices had been changed because the cheap returns were too popular, causing trains to be too full.

Why should we have to book in advance? Derek Langslow Rail Passengers' Committee

She said: "These cheap day returns tickets only apply to travel after 9 or 9.30, so they're not tickets that people can buy at the peak of travelling time, the rush hour traffic, they are for people travelling during the day.

"The price is to bring these ticket prices in line with other cheap day return tickets that other passengers on Central Trains services are already paying."

But only last month, Central's marketing director Dave Watkin said "low (cheap day return) prices were leading to a very high demand for some tickets, which has resulted in a situation where passengers could not get a seat on our trains".

Seven-year price freeze

A Central Trains spokesman said Mr Watkin was referring to a small window from 8.30am, after which time some cheap day return passengers have been competing for space with rush-hour travellers on some routes.

The spokesman added that the fare between Birmingham and Peterborough had not risen in seven years.

Ms Webster also pointed out that passengers could still pay as little as £16 for a Birmingham-Peterborough return if they booked in advance.

Derek Langslow, chairman of the Rail Passengers' Committee for Eastern England, said: "Why should we have to book in advance?

"I think it is cheating the passengers and we're going to continue to put pressure on Central Trains to change this arbitrary and absurd policy."