Rail fares set to rise by almost six per cent next year

More misery facing commuters already suffering on strike hit services

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

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.

But 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 the dismal services being run during strike and other days.

Transport campaigners had appealed to ministers to come up with another formula for next year’s rail increases at a time when households are already struggling with rising food and energy bills and higher mortgage and rental payments.

The Department for Transport confirmed that regulated fares would go up by RPI minus 6.4 per cent, with the previous biggest reduction being RPI -1.

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.

“It has been a difficult year and the impact of inflation is being felt across the UK economy. We do not want to add to the problem.

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

But shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh responded: “The Tories have just announced a brutal near-record 6% rail fare rise.

“This savage fare hike will be a sick joke for millions reliant on crumbling services.”

According to data from the Rail Delivery Group, the previous biggest rise in rail fares was 5.9 per cent in 2009.

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