Commuters will avoid a 12% rail price rise out of concern for hard-hit families

Commuters will avoid a 12% rail price rise out of concern for hard-hit families

Yesterday, Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps committed to prevent double-digit increases in train fares for passengers in 2019.

In March, certain rail tariffs, including those for season passes, saw a record 12 percent hike.

The yearly increase is based on the retail price index (RPI) for July of the preceding year, which will be released on Wednesday.
According to the research company Capital Economics, it is anticipated to rise by 0.1 percentage points to 11.9%.

If prices increased by this amount, the price of a 12-month season ticket from Reading to London would increase by £600 to £5,644, from £685 to $6,450 for Colchester to London, and from £212 to $1,998 for Runcorn to Liverpool.

This would be the largest increase in regulated rates since the privatization of public transportation in 1993.

A Department of Transportation spokesperson said yesterday that the government would not hike rates by as much as the July RPI number.

We are deferring the hike until March 2023 and temporarily suspending tariffs for the months of January and February to assist struggling families.

No decision has been made on the percentage increase in fares.

The precise proportion will be negotiated with the Treasury.

Since the Covid-19 epidemic, the yearly walk has been moved to March. Previously, it occurred on New Year’s Day.

The increase, which was 3.8% this year, only applies to regulated rates.Rail travellers faced a record 12 per cent increase for some fares, including season tickets, in MarchTransport Secretary Grant Shapps has pledged to rule out double-digit rail price hikes which would see a London to Reading annual season ticket go up by £600 to £5,644

Nearly half of all rates are controlled, including commuter season tickets, some off-peak return tickets for long-distance travel, anytime tickets around major cities, and saver returns.