Evidence A: UK has the 'most expensive train fares in Europe

• Fares are 50% higher in Britain than on the Continent.
• Annual season tickets for journeys under 25 miles are 88% more expensive than the next most expensive country- France- and four times pricier than the cheapest country - Italy 
• These rail systems are state owned and French SNCF is highly profitable
• Passengers per train journey kilometer in 2009 was 107 in Britain and 294 in France
• Trains in France have a larger seat capacity (500 seats), long trains (240m) and some use double deck coaches
• Britain's passengers are happy with the quality of service but not happy with the value for money.
• Overcrowding and delays at peak times are a key factors to value or money
• Passengers cannot be expected to pay above-inflation fare increases year on year during a recession.

Simon Calder: We may suffer from the most expensive train tickets in Europe, but we also enjoy the cheapest

This article gives the view that in Britain walk up tickets are the most expensive in Europe, during peak times when WE want to use the train, with a walk-up” ticket for the 100-minute Virgin Trains hop from London Euston to Macclesfield costing up to £145 – almost a pound a mile for the privilege of exchanging NW1 for east Cheshire.

Such a fare wouldn’t happen in Germany – a nation significantly bigger, and which has a faster and more sophisticated rail network than Britain. The maximum fare for any German rail journey is capped at €135 (£112). 

However what makes Britain's rail prices the cheapest in Europe is the off-peak prices for rail tickets, when the train companies have high amount of seats available and want to get rid of them. This is usually during periods where WE don't want to use the rail at an unpractical time. With advance planning, you can find a £12 ticket on a fast and comfortable Virgin express from London to Macclesfield.

UK & Europe train fares in comparison

This article shows that pre-booking train tickets in the UK in comparison with France, Italy and Germany for similar distance train journeys is actually cheaper in the UK compared to the other countries. However when it comes to buying a ticket there and then on the date the UK comes out on top as having the most expensive rail tickets during peak business times when tickets are high in demand.

England has the priciest train tickets in Europe (Video)