How do Britain's rail fares compare with Europe's?

Simon Calder on the cost of train travel across the continent

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“The UK has the highest prices per mile anywhere.

” That was one of the responses to The Independent’s report that regulated rail fares in England will be frozen next year as part of the autumn Budget. Yet fresh research by The Independent across five major European countries shows that the only routes on which the UK is disproportionately expensive are on Eurostar trains to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

For immediate departure, there is no alternative to the £219 fare to Paris or Amsterdam, or £207 on the significantly shorter journey to Brussels. Tickets from continental Europe are a few pounds cheaper.

But for domestic rail travel, the UK is not an outlier, being largely comparable with France and Germany - though generally with slower trains.

The research looked at intercity journeys of around 280 miles (450km) from big cities to the national capital. Prices for immediate departure on Monday morning at peak times were recorded, along with the lowest fare available for the same journey two months ahead. The lowest/highest fares found were:

• Newcastle-London (275 miles): £26/£108

• Seville-Madrid (293 miles): £6/£78

• Lyon-Paris (289 miles): £15/£104

• Frankfurt-Berlin (263 miles): £16/£135

• Milan-Rome (297 miles): £35/£94