Rail fares see steepest price hike in almost a decade
Rail fares rise 'couldn't come at a worse time', say campaigners
Last updated 29th May 2022
Rail fares in England and Wales will see their biggest rise in nearly a decade this week, meaning ticket prices could go up by as much as 3.8% from today (1st March).
The average price of a train journey has increased by at least 23% in real terms since privatisation and rail prices have risen twice as fast as wages since 2009.
The fare cap increase matches the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation for July 2021.
It will be the steepest increase since January 2013, according to figures from industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).
A 3.8% rise would lead to hikes in the cost of annual season tickets such as:
- Brighton to London (any route): Up £194 to £5,302
- Liverpool to Manchester (any route): Up £105 to £2,865
- Neath to Cardiff: Up £70 to £1,922
Control on ticket prices
A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman said it has "protected passengers" by delaying the fares rise until two months later than normal, and setting a cap which is "well below current inflation rates".
Latest figures show RPI in January was 7.8%.
The DfT spokesman added: "We must now look to recoup some of the £14 billion which was spent to keep vital services running throughout the pandemic in a way that is fair for all taxpayers.
"By striking this balance, we will be able to encourage people back on to trains whilst funding the necessary improvements and unprecedented investment that will benefit all those who use our railways."
"Governments should be making it easier to take the green option"
An RDG spokesman said: "The Government's decision to hold fares down below current inflation is positive."
"It is important that fares are set at a level that will encourage more people to travel by train in the future, helping to support a clean and fair recovery from the pandemic."
Operators are still working to restore all the services cut in December and January amid huge staff shortages due to the Omicron coronavirus variant.
But Bruce Williamson of Rail future said: "Ordinary working people are feeling the squeeze like never before, yet the Government is stoking the fire of the cost-of-living crisis with these eye-watering fare increases."
Mr Williamson claimed passengers will be "bankrupted next year" if the formula for setting rail fare rises is unchanged, as inflation is "likely to hit 8%."
Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said the increase in fares "couldn't come at a worse time" and noted that many office workers have a choice about how many days they commute.
The Director of the "We Own It" campaign, Cat Hobbs, also believes highlighting inflation for increased prices is not enough.
In an interview with Bauer media, Ms Hobbs said: "Rail services have been unreliable during the pandemic and if you then hit passengers with higher fares, that is really off-putting to people."
"I think it's a very unimaginative short-term approach (for railway companies) to say 'our costs are going up, there's nothing we can do'. It's really vital to plan for the future and a situation where more people can be taking the train not less," she added.
"We were already facing a choice between heating and eating, people are also facing choices on how they travel and governments should be making it easier for people to take the green option."
Cost of living crisis
Campaign group Railfuture accused the UK Government of "stoking the fire of the cost of living crisis" by enabling an increase in ticket prices of up to 3.8%.
It is important to note that many train operators in the UK are publicly owned by other European countries.
The press officer of 'We Own It', said: "As a proportion of salaries, Brits pay up to five times as much in rail fares as our European neighbours do.
"This is because our privatised railway system is very wasteful - both because we're wasting money on paying out profits to shareholders, and because the system is a fragmented, chaotic mess."
Ms Hobbs added: "Today's 3.8% rail fare increase is disgraceful. Hiking up rail fares in the middle of a cost of living crisis is really kicking passengers while they're down.
"Public ownership could save £1 billion a year, enough to fund an 18% cut in rail fares or build 100 miles of new railway track. It’s time to bring our railways into public ownership and build a rail system that works for passengers, not profit.”
Labour's shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: "This brutal Tory fare hike will be a nightmare for millions of passengers.
"Families are already facing tax rises and surging bills, and will now be clobbered with yet another eye-watering rise in the cost of the commute."
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