From the Echo 19.02.2009

MAN’s two-year campaign against a c2c rail fare discrepancy has sparked a meeting between train company bosses and Government officials.

The commuter, who has asked not to be named, claims passengers on the Shoebury to Fenchurch Street line are paying more to travel into London than people making the same journey out of the capital.

Department for Transport officials have been called in to decide if c2c is ripping off Essex passengers who buy single or return tickets to a London underground station.

The man, who lives in Laindon, said: “In the cold light of day, citizens from south east Essex are paying a lot more than people from other areas.”

He said c2c charges £11.50 for a single fare between Laindon and Kings Cross on the Tube network.

However, the same journey in reverse costs £8.80 when a ticket is bought from an London Underground ticket office.

According to National Rail Inquiries the journey costs £11.50 in either direction.

However, Dan Maskell, spokesman for Transport for London, said a fare between Kings Cross and Laindon, bought from an Underground ticket office cost £8.80.

He also said a passenger could make the journey using any reasonable route, interchanging at any station serviced by the c2c line or the Tube.

The fed up man has written to Basildon and East Thurrock Labour MP Angela Smith, who passed the matter to transport chiefs.

Mrs Smith said: “When I was contacted by a constituent about this, my first reactions was someone must have made a mistake.

“There can’t be a different price for the same journey in different directions.

“It’s absolute nonsense and we need to get something done about it.”

Tunde Olatunji, from Passenger Focus, the independent rail consumer watchdog, has taken up battle along with the Thurrock Rail Users’ Group.

Mr Olatunji, who lives in Leigh, said he was delighted the meeting had been set up and hoped the Department for Transport would hold c2c accountable.

He said: “We’re not happy with the level of transparency on this.

“We feel c2c is being generous to itself in the way it is approaching fares. That’s why we don’t feel the Laindon fare reflects the proper way increases should be made.”

He also said if c2c did not change its pricing system, more passengers would suffer because people were opting to buy single or return tickets rather than season tickets because of the recession.

Ellen Rossiter, a spokeswoman for c2c, said: “A meeting is being arranged to discuss this issue with a view to providing an amicable resolution.”

TRUG Note : Steven has a blog entry about this