Rail passengers in England and Wales face a steep increase in the cost of travel from Sunday, with fares rising by 4.6% and most railcards going up by £5.
The government said the rise is needed because of the dire financial state of the railway, but transport campaigners contrasted it with Labour prolonging the freeze on fuel duty for motorists.
This weekend’s fare increase is only the second time the government has raised fares above the rate of inflation since 2013 – the other being in 2021 when the Covid pandemic had stopped most rail revenue.
London Underground and other rail fares in the capital will also match the national rise, going up by an average of 4.6% across the network, although bus fares will be frozen.
The government defended the increase as being the lowest absolute rise in three years, when inflation was far higher, and being slightly below the current increase in average earnings of 5.9%.
The rise will mean the cost of an annual season ticket on popular routes such as Brighton to London passing £5,000, with York to Leeds now more than £3,000 and Canterbury commuters paying more than £7,000 a year to reach the capital.
Meanwhile, the cost of most discount railcards, for students, families or pensioners, will rise by £5, or almost 17%.
Almost half of rail fares in England, including season tickets and some long-distance returns, are directly set by Westminster. The devolved Welsh government is following suit this Sunday at the same 4.6% level. Fares in Scotland will rise by slightly less, 3.8%, from 1 April.
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “I understand that passengers are frustrated rail fares keep rising despite unacceptable levels of delays and cancellations.
“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.”
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However, Silviya Barrett of Campaign for Better Transport said it was “yet another blow”, adding: “It’s especially disappointing that even railcards are going up in price after being protected for years.”
Alex Robertson, the 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.”
The campaign group Railfuture’s Bruce Williamson said: “We had hoped that a new government would mean a change of policy, but no – passengers are still being punished for going green.
“If they can find the money to freeze fuel duty for motorists, they can afford to freeze rail fares, too. When will passengers ever get a break?”
Article by:Source: Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent
