Connex to impose inflation-busting increases in fares

Britain's most unpopular train operator is to increase fares on packed commuter routes by nearly five times the inflation rate, industry sources have disclosed.

Official figures showed yesterday that train punctuality was deteriorating nationally and complaints were soaring. Connex, whose "passenger satisfaction" levels are the lowest on the network, intends to raise prices on some lines by 7 per cent.

The company – the country's second-largest operator, which runs between London and Kent – has been allowed to increase regulated fares by 2.5 per cent generally but has selected the busiest routes for much higher increases, The Independent has learnt.

On Wednesday, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) announced the ailing operator was to receive a £58m handout from taxpayers. The authority also cut its franchise period by five years, to end in 2006.

Yesterday the SRA announced a total of £71m in fines for train companies operating late or crowded services in the 12 months to October. Connex has been fined £4.5m for late trains, a problem that has earned an £11m fine for South West Trains, the highest of the 11 firms penalised. WAGN was fined £7m, First Great Eastern £4.5m and South Central £4.3m.

Yesterday's performance figures from the SRA showed that 80.8 per cent of trains ran on time nationally between July and September. This was a decline on the 83 per cent figure for the previous three months but an improvement on last year's late-summer performance, which saw 79 per cent of trains run on time between July and September.

The latest figures were compiled before bad weather in late October caused the worst disruption to the network since the period after the Hatfield crash in 2000. The next statistics to be published will show an even worse record. Nick Newton, the SRA's chief operating officer, said the industry faced a "massive challenge" to improve performance.

Nationally, respondents' opinion of their day's journey remained unchanged from the previous two surveys for autumn 2001 and spring 2002, with 73 per cent declaring satisfaction in this autumn's poll.

At the bottom of the "satisfaction" table, Connex South Eastern scored 65 per cent, while the Isle of Wight's Island Line and Gatwick Express had the top ratings on 91 per cent.

Just three of the 25 passenger companies – Arriva Trains Merseyside, South West Trains and West Anglia Great Northern – performed better in the three months to September than the previous three months.

Virgin CrossCountry trains had the worst punctuality record with 66.8 per cent of services arriving on time, which was an increase on its late summer 2001 figure of 63.3 per cent but a decline on the April-June 2002 proportion of 68.5 per cent. The network will show a considerably worse record in the present three-month period after new trains and a new, much fuller timetable are introduced.

Virgin West Coast passengers experienced the biggest dip in punctuality – falling from 77.4 per cent of trains on time in April-June to 67.5 per cent in July to September.