A RAIL company which runs non-stop trains between York and London is hiking some of its fares - less than three months after its operation started.

Grand Central's standard-fare passengers must now fork out an extra £30 for a return ticket from the city to London King's Cross if they want to travel at the busiest times of the week.

And commuters using the company's 8.22am or 4.50pm direct services between the two stations will have to pay £25 more for each first-class single fare on those trains from Monday to Friday.

It means that in just 12 weeks the price of Grand Central's standard peak weekday tickets from York to the capital and back has risen by almost 47 per cent, while first-class return travel has soared by 39 per cent.

Grand Central - which boasts "passenger satisfaction" and "value for money" among the key elements of its service - has defended its introduction of "single leg" supplements on its peak morning and evening trains and says it is still cheaper than its rivals.

But the Museum Street-based company now faces questions about the price rises from an unhappy rail passengers' champion.

Its York to King's Cross operation began just before Christmas - a year late after problems obtaining rolling stock - and three daily trains now run each way between the cities. The new increases, introduced this week, only apply to Grand Central's own fares and not "inter-available" tickets for use on any rail firm's services.

Tom Clift, managing director of the firm, said: "It has been recognised for several months, as part of internal business planning discussions, that at some point in time we would seek to reflect demand for peak services by adjusting price.

"We concluded that with loadings (the number of passengers carried) and customer feedback information, now would be the appropriate time to raise the fares, but in such a way as to ensure the revised price remained well below other options and therefore remained good value for money.

"Further work on passenger feedback will no doubt influence what future changes we make to our product mix, including pricing structure, but whatever we do, we will be mindful of the need to remain good value for money."

But a spokeswoman for the national rail consumer watchdog Passenger Focus said: "We do not support supplements being added to fares and would question the transparency of the Grand Central move.

"We will be raising this as a matter of urgency with Grand Central on behalf of its passengers."

Fare rises

Services affected:

  • York to London King's Cross (8.22am The Zephyr' service, Monday-Friday)
  • London King's Cross to York (4.50pm The 21st Century Limited' service, Monday-Friday)
  • Standard single fare before March 10: £39
  • Standard single fare after March 10: £54

Increase: 38.46 per cent

  • Standard return fare before March 10: £64
  • Standard return fare after March 10: £94

Increase: 46.87 per cent

  • First-class single fare before March 10: £78
  • First-class single fare after March 10: £103

Increase: 32 per cent

  • First-class return fare before March 10: £128
  • First-class return fare after March 10: £178

Increase: 39 per cent

The £15 standard and £25 first-class supplements are irrespective of concessions. Bank Holidays are excepted.