Train fares are rising again – see how much more you’ll pay and how to cut costs
Train fares in England will rise by 4.6% on next year, in a major blow for millions of commuters across the country.
The increase will be applied to regulated rail fares, such as season, anytime day, off-peak and super off-peak tickets. Unregulated fares – which include advance, anytime, off-peak day and first class fares – are set by train companies. The news was confirmed in documents published after the Budget in October.
The increase is one percentage point above the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation for July, and comes after train fares rose by 4.9% in March this year, and 5.9% in March 2023. 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 the increase.
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ScotRail fares increased across Scotland in September this year after a trial to remove peak fares came to an end. This saw the price of a top ticket from Glasgow to Edinburgh increase from £14.90 to £31.40. Wales has not yet announced any train fare increases. Translink, the public transport operator for Northern Ireland, announced a 10% increase in rail fares in June this 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.”
Andy Bagnall, the chief executive of Rail Partners, representing private train operators, said: “Government should set fares at a level that will ultimately encourage more people to travel by train … The focus must be on growing passenger numbers, not making current passengers pay more.”
How to save money on train travel
There are plenty of ways to cut down the cost of your commute. Our first tip is to 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. It is also worth checking if you'd benefit from getting a rail card to save 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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