Train passengers face potential ticket price rise of 5.8% after inflation update

Train fares in England may increase by 5.8% next year in a major blow for passengers and commuters.

Rail prices increased this year by one percentage point above the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation in July 2024. If the same formula is used for train tickets next year, then it would mean the cost of rail travel will jump by 5.8% next year.

Train fares went up in England by 4.6% in March this year. This applied to regulated rail fares, such as season, anytime day, off-peak and super off-peak tickets.

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Unregulated fares - which include advance, anytime, off-peak day and first class fares - are set by train companies. The Office for National Statistics today revealed that RPI rose to 4.8% in July.

The Government has not yet confirmed how much train fares in England will rise by next year. The Department for Transport (DfT) said there will be an update on changes to regulated fares later this year. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each determine their own train fare increases for regulated fares.

Pressure group Railfuture recently told the PA news agency “it would be outrageous” if fares even rose by as much as 5.5% as train punctuality in Britain at its lowest level in more than five years.

Office of Rail and Road figures show trains in Britain reached 66.7% of scheduled stops within a minute of the timetable in the year to July 19. This marks the worst performance since the year to May 30 2020.

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 (GBR), 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.”

Most railcards also went up this year, with prices rising by £5, or 17%. The majority increased from £30 a year to £35.

How to save money on train travel

There are plenty of ways to cut down the cost of your commute. You should plan your journey as far in advance as possible to get discounted fares.

Cheaper tickets are normally released 12 weeks ahead of time. See as well if you can split your journey to save costs. This involves splitting your journey up into different sections, so you're buying lots of multiple tickets instead of just one single ticket.

It is also worth checking if you'd benefit from getting a rail card to save between 30% and 50% off the price of your fare.

If you're a regular traveller, see if you'd save money by purchasing a season ticket or flexi ticket. How much you could save depends on how often you travel - but it can add up to hundreds of pounds.