Rail fare rise blow for passengers as Great Getaway starts

RAIL fares are set to rise by nearly six per cent next year for commuters.

- Ross Lydall Transport Editor

Regulated fares, which include season tickets, are usually pegged to around July’s retail prices index measure of inflation. But RPI hit 12.3 per cent in July.

The Government has intervened to stop such eye-wateringly high rises in ticket prices.

However, the fare hike of 5.9 per cent in March will still be another heavy blow to many commuters and some other rail users, especially given dismal services during strike and other days.

Transport campaigners had appealed to ministers to come up with another formula for next year’s rail increases.

The Department for Transport confirmed that regulated fares would go up by RPI minus 6.4 per cent. This would mean the rise is aligned to the increase to July 2022’s average earnings growth instead of RPI, more than halving the increase facing passengers, and delayed until March.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “This is the biggest-ever government intervention in rail fares. I’m capping the rise well below inflation to help reduce the impact on passengers.

“This is a fair balance between the passengers who use our trains and the taxpayers who help pay for them.”