Rail fares to increase from March

REGULATED rail fares will increase by up to 5.9 per cent from March.

The Government said the rise was being capped at a level below inflation to help reduce the impact on passengers.

An annual ticket from Henley to Paddington without a London Travelcard will go up from £4,296 to £4,549.46.

Going via Reading will cost £5,337.36 (up from £5,040) and with a Travelcard will be £6,196 (£6,561.56).

Before the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, fares were raised in January every year, based on the retail prices index measure of inflation from the previous July.

Inflation is the rate at which prices rise and the normal formula for fares is RPI plus one per cent.

However, the Government said that for this year only rail fare increases would be capped at 5.9 per cent, well below July’s RPI figure of 12.3 per cent.

It has also frozen fares for January and February, so that passengers have more time to buy tickets at current prices.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the rise represented a “fair balance” between passenger and taxpayer needs.

He said: “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.”

However, the increase will still be the largest since a 6.2 per cent jump in 2012, according to the Office of Rail and Road.

Neil Gunnell, of Henley Trains, said: “While it is never good news that fares are going up, it is a small mercy that the full normal rise has not been applied.”

Regulated fares cover about 45 per cent of the total, including season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long distance journeys and anytime tickets around major cities.

• There was major disruption to rail services this week due to industrial action by the RMT and the train drivers’ union Aslef in an ongoing dispute over pay, working conditions and job security.