The price hikes took effect yesterday (Sun 2 March) and affect ‘regulated’ train fares. Regulated train fares are fares that are set by the Government, while unregulated fares are set by the train operator.
The increase has been set at 1% above Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation in July – which was 3.6%. Meanwhile, inflation currently stands at 3%.
Since 2013, regulated fares have only increased above the rate of RPI inflation once – in 2021, when the industry had suffered a huge drop in passenger revenues during the pandemic.
The Government said the rise is needed because of the dire financial state of the railway, but transport campaigners say there is a clear mismatch between ticket prices and the service people receive.
The price rise will mean the cost of an annual season ticket from Canterbury to London will go up by more than £300 to £7,100, while those commuting from Southampton will pay £7,477 per year. Outside of London, commuters buying an annual ticket from York to Leeds now pay £3,028 per year.
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The cost of most railcards – such as the 16-25 Railcard and Two Together Railcard – has gone up from £30 to £35, although disabled railcards remain the same price.
Alex Robertson, chief executive at Transport Focus, said: “Passengers also know that someone must pay for the railway and funding can only come from fares or taxes. We recognise the difficult balance that must be struck between these two sources of income and that the Secretary of State must ultimately decide where the line is drawn.
“What passengers will rightly expect now is to see improvements for the money they have paid. A simpler, easier-to-understand fare structure also can’t come soon enough and would attract more people back onto the railway.”
The Campaign for Better Transport said the fare increases would add to the pressure on households, coming on top of higher food and energy costs.
The Government has promised to improve the country’s railways, with the launch of a new body – Great British Railways (GBR) – and a new passenger watchdog.
