Rail fares rise by 4.9% today in blow for millions of train users and commuters

03 March 2024 , 07:00

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Rail fares are rising from today (Image: Getty Images)

Brits and commuters will pay more to travel by train from today (March 3) as rail fares rise by 4.9% in England and Wales.

The increase will be applied to regulated rail fares, such as season, anytime day, off-peak and super off-peak tickets. Regulated rail fares are usually linked to the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation for the previous July, which for 2023 was 9%. The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed it would cap the rise at 4.9% instead in a statement last December. But the latest increase still comes on top of the 5.9% rise that was implemented in March 2023.

Unregulated fares - which include advance, anytime, off-peak day and first class fares - are set by train companies. It isn't clear how much unregulated fares could rise by. ScotRail fares will rise by 8.7% from April 1. Fares in Northern Ireland are set by operator Translink, which increased the price of about half of all adult single train fares last November by an average of 50p.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "Having met our target of halving inflation across the economy, this is a significant intervention by the government to cap the increase in rail fares below last year’s rise. Changed working patterns after the pandemic means that our railways are still losing money and require significant subsidies, so this rise strikes a balance to keep our railways running, while not overburdening passengers. We remain committed to supporting the rail sector reform outdated working practices to help put it on a sustainable financial footing."

How to save money on train travel

There are plenty of ways to cut down the cost of your commute. Our first tip is to plan your journey as far in advance as possible to get discounted fares. Cheaper tickets are normally released 12 weeks ahead of time.

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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.

Finally, 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.

Levi Winchester