MORE figures showing how UK rail travellers pay far more per mile for their tickets than their European counterparts were released by transport union the RMT.

Last week the union produced statistics looking at the cost of tickets on the East Coast Main Line.

The RMT yesterday said fares on the West Coast Main Line, run by Virgin Trains, were between three times more expensive than similar journeys in Europe.

The union looked at comparative costs if the UK had the same fare structure as European rail networks. The comparative fares for a walk-on standard one-way journey from London to Manchester is £93.50. The same distance journey with a walk-on standard ticket on the railway in France is £22.70 and in Spain £30.

in Italy £18.50, in Germany £42 and in Belgium £23.54.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "When GNER agreed to pay a franchise of more than £1 billion for the East Coast, we warned that the only way this money could be raised was by raising fares and cutting services.

"Our analysis shows that fares on this line are already three times higher than on journeys of similar length in the nationalised railways in Belgium and France. But fares per mile on the Virgin West Coast line are even higher.

"Rail privatisation has turned UK rail fares into a lottery, and it is set to get worse."