LONDON, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- British rail commuters are spending up to five times as much of their salary on season tickets compared to the rest of Europe, according to a new study.
Research showed that regular travellers will spend as much as 13 percent of their salary travelling to work by train in Britain from Tuesday. This compares with between 2.5 percent and 5 percent of worker's salaries in countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
The findings come as millions of passengers are preparing to return to work on Tuesday after the festive season are hit with the biggest fare increase since 2013.
Train ticket prices soar in biggest increase in five years. Fares are due to go up by an average of 3.4 percent on Tuesday, with season tickets going up by 3.6 percent, the largest increase since 2013, sparking protests outside railway stations across the country.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), a federation of trade unions in England and Wales, said workers travelling from Chelmsford in Essex to London will have to pay 13 percent of their salary for a 381-pound (516-U.S. dollar) monthly season ticket.
Season tickets will increase a third faster than wages in 2018, said the TUC.
The British government sets regulated rail fares and it was announced in summer 2017 that tickets would increase by 3.6 percent this month. The rise covers 40 percent of tickets, including most season tickets and standard returns. Other tickets, including off-peaks, can be set by rail companies.
