RAIL commuters travelling from Luton’s three train stations will start the New Year on a bad note as they face a ticket fare hike of almost six per cent.
Thameslink operator First Capital Connect announced last week that prices will rise 5.7 per cent from January 2 meaning that a standard season ticket currently costing £3,400 will cost travellers £3,604.
The rise is slightly lower than the 5.9 per cent national average as announced by the Association of train Operating Companies (ATOC).
The price of car parking at Thameslink stations is also set to increase by up to 3 per cent to cover overheads.
A spokesperson at First Capital Connect said: “In these difficult times, we have minimised price rises across the board to limit the impact of regulated fares increases on our customers.”
But disgruntled passengers see any increase as a disappointment.
One Luton commuter, Kim Gleeson, told the Luton News: “I think the increase is yet another hard blow to FCC customers.
“As soon as I heard about the increases I had to make the decision to look for work closer to home and come out of London because I simply wouldn’t be able to afford another chunk out of my salary.
“Providing 12 carriage trains is all very well, but this does not change the poor service FCC provide in my opinion.
“A few weeks ago it took a week to sort out some signalling problems which resulted in severe delays and short notice cancellations so I was very late for work and also resulted in me missing a job interview, leading me to lose out on the position.
“When I complained to FCC about it, stating I did not want train vouchers as I have a season ticket, they sent me two vouchers worth £8.14 each. I hardly think this makes up for it.
“FCC high price increases are causing their customers to suffer and I know I am not the only one who has had to find a job where they will no longer need to use FCC because of this.”
First Capital connect also announced last week that it will be bidding to keep the Thameslink franchise before the February bidding deadline.
The new contract will only be for seven years due to upgrades on the line, which brought in ticket sales of £1 billion last year.