Rail fares to go up by 4.9 per cent in March next year
Regulated rail fares in England will increase by up to 4.9 per cent next year, in a blow to UK commuters.
The increase will take effect from March 3, 2024, the Department for Transport has said.
It comes just a day after all London Euston trains were cancelled in a day of Christmas rail chaos.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Having met our target of halving inflation across the economy, this is a significant intervention by the government to cap the increase in rail fares below last year’s rise.
“Changed working patterns after the pandemic mean that our railways are still losing money and require significant subsidies, so this rise strikes a balance to keep our railways running, while not overburdening passengers.”
He added: “We remain committed to supporting the rail sector reform outdated working practices to help put it on a sustainable financial footing.”
The DfT has set a cap of 4.9 per cent for increases to most fares regulated by the Government, which include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long distance routes and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.
July’s RPI measure of inflation, which is traditionally used to determine annual fare rises, was nine per cent.
The previous cap on increases in regulated fares was 5.9 per cent.
Scottish rail fares were yesterday announced to be increasing by 8.7 per cent from April next year, instigated by Transport Scotland.
A spokesman for London TravelWatch said: “These new rail fares will see already hard-pressed passengers hit with another unwelcome price hike. Reform to rail fares and ticketing could not be more urgent now.
“Government needs to set out an alternative vision that makes public transport appealing – this includes affordable fares, rolling out contactless payment options, and improving train service punctuality so passengers are getting real value-for-money.”
Trades Union Congress general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Today’s excessive hike sums up everything that is wrong with our rail network.
“Ministers are tone deaf to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis that remains a real burden on working people right across the economy.
“UK passengers are already paying the highest fares in Europe in return for late-running, overcrowded and routinely cancelled trains.”
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh commented: “It beggars belief that after the worst ever year for cancellations on our railways, the Conservatives would deliver a brutal rail fare hike for millions of long-suffering passengers.
“Household budgets have already been squeezed to their limit by the cost of living crisis, and now passengers are being asked to pay more for a service that is worsening every year.
“Labour will reform the broken rail system, taking our rail services back into public ownership as contracts expire, and create a passenger-focused railway which we all can rely on.”