Train tickets in England will become more expensive from this Sunday as rail fares are set to rise.
The price of regulated rail fares, such as season, anytime day, off-peak and super off-peak tickets, will go up by 4.6% from March 2. At the same time, most railcards will rise by £5, or 17%. Most railcards cost £30, which means they will rise to £35. The Disabled Persons Railcard is unaffected by this increase.
The train fare rise is higher than the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation for July, which is usually what rail tickets are normally linked to. The Government said the above-inflation rise is to “recover a shortfall in revenue” since the pandemic, as fewer people used trains during Covid and many people still continue to work from home.
It comes after train fares rose by 4.9% in March last year, and 5.9% in March 2023. Unregulated fares – which include advance, anytime, off-peak day and first class fares – are set by train companies, so it is down to each firm to decide whether they put up the price of these tickets as well.
Train fares in Wales will also rise by 4.6% from March 2, while Scotland rail fares will increase by 3.8% from April 1. Wales has not yet announced any train fare increases. Translink, the public transport operator for Northern Ireland, has not yet announced any new rail fare increases for this year, but the firm did put up prices by 10% in June last year.
Paul Tuohy from Campaign for Better Transport said: “Raising rail fares above inflation and hiking the cost of railcards is a kick in the teeth for people who rely on public transport, especially those on low income. Doing this at the same time as keeping fuel duty frozen sends entirely the wrong message. To tackle air pollution, congestion and climate change, we need to make public transport the attractive, affordable choice.”
Alex Robertson, Chief Executive of the independent watchdog, Transport Focus, said: “Our research shows there is a clear mismatch between ticket prices and the service people expect to receive for what they have paid. This needs to change.
“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.“
Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander said: “I understand that passengers are frustrated rail fares keep rising despite unacceptable levels of delays and cancellations, which is why this Government made sure this was the lowest increase in three years, and below the growth in average earnings.
“We inherited a railway that was not fit for purpose, and I know it will take time for trust to be restored, with trains turning up on time, when and where they’re needed. My number one priority is getting the railways back to a place where people can rely on them and, through public ownership and the creation of Great British Railways, we’ll be putting passengers at the heart of everything we do, delivering the services they deserve and encouraging growth across the country delivering on our Plan for Change.”
There are plenty of ways to cut down the cost of your commute. If you can, plan your journey as far in advance as possible to get discounted fares. Cheaper tickets are normally released 12 weeks ahead of time. See as well if you can split your journey to save costs.
This involves splitting your journey up into different sections, so you’re buying lots of multiple tickets instead of just one single ticket. If you have a rail card, you can renew it up to 30 days before it expires – so if yours is due to expire soon, it is worth updating it now before the increased rates come in.
A railcard can save you between 30% and 50% off the price of your fare. Finally, if you’re a regular traveller, see if you’d save money by purchasing a season ticket or flexi ticket. How much you could save depends on how often you travel – but it can add up to hundreds of pounds.
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