Rail campaigners say potential 5.5% fares rise would be ‘ripping off' passengers

Powys County Times

16 hours ago

A potential 5.5% rise in England's train fares next year has been described by public transport groups as 'outrageous'.
July's Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation – which is often used to determine increases in the cost of train travel – will be announced on Wednesday.
The Government has not confirmed how it will determine the cap in regulated fare rises for 2026, but this year's 4.6% hike was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024.
Banking group Investec has forecast this year's July RPI figure will be 4.5%, which means fares could jump by 5.5%.
Bruce Williamson, spokesman for pressure group Railfuture, told the PA news agency 'it would be outrageous' if fares rose by that much.
He said: 'What would be the justification for jacking up fares above inflation? There isn't any.
'It's ripping off the customer, driving people off the trains and onto our congested road network, which is in no-one's interest.'
Mr Williamson said he would support the Government marking its nationalisation of train operators by freezing fares.
He continued: 'One would hope that there would be some efficiency savings and economies of scale that you get from having a more integrated railway.
'But of course, I strongly suspect that if there are any savings to be had, they'd be swallowed up by the Treasury and not passed back to the passengers, which I think is wrong.'
Ben Plowden, chief executive of lobby group Campaign for Better Transport, said: 'Rising fares are not just burdening passengers, they are putting people off rail travel.
'Our survey found that 71% of people would be more likely to take the train if fares were cheaper.
'Public support for nationalisation plummets if fares continue to rise, so as the Government progresses plans for Great British Railways (GBR), it must take the opportunity to reform fares and make rail travel more affordable.'
GBR is an upcoming public sector body that will oversee Britain's rail infrastructure and train operation.
About 45% of fares on Britain's railways are regulated by the Westminster, Scottish and Welsh Governments.
They include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance routes, and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said there will be an update on changes to regulated fares later this year.
Operators set rises in unregulated fares, although these are likely to be very close to regulated ticket increases because their decisions are heavily influenced by governments.
A DfT spokesperson said: 'The Transport Secretary has made clear her number one priority is getting the railways back to a place where people can rely on them.
'The Government is putting passengers at the heart of its plans for public ownership and Great British Railways, delivering the services they deserve and driving growth.
'No decisions have been made on next year's rail fares but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.'