IRISH COMMUTERS GOING back to work today will be paying more than three times more for their travel than workers making a similar journey in Spain.
The UK-based Action For Rail group has been campaigning for cheaper rail fares in the UK and has compared train fares across Europe.
They found that, for journeys of about 30 miles, there is a vast difference in the price of monthly rail tickets for commuters in different countries.
TheJournal.ie used the same methodology to calculate a comparative journey in Ireland.
UK
The 29 mile journey between Chelmsford to London: €485.
Germany
The 31 mile journey between Eberswald and Berlin: €128.
France
The 29 mile journey between Etampes and Paris: €317.
Italy
The 29 mile journey between Cerveteri Ladispoli and Rome: €50.
Spain
The 27 mile journey between Arenys de Mar and Barcelona: €76.
Ireland
The 30 mile journey between Dublin and Drogheda: €244.
The research by Action for Rail also sought to put the train fares in the context of the average annual wage of workers in each country.
The annual wages were taken from research by the OECD which calculated wages based on full-time workers and part-time workers at their full-time equivalent.
The research then put the price of the monthly ticket for commuters as a percentage of the average monthly income of the workers.
UK: 13%
Germany: 4%
France: 10%
Italy: 2%
Spain: 3%
Ireland: 6%
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