04 March 2023 , 09:36
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Train fares will rise by 5.9% tomorrow - but travellers are still able to get cheaper tickets if they buy them before the deadline.
Millions of travellers are now going to be affected by the hike price in regulated train fares.
Normally the price of regulated rail fares can go up every year by taking into account the level of inflation in the previous July, plus one per cent - rather than the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation as is customary.
But this is the largest rise in more than a decade - 11 years to be exact.
The increase is being imposed to support "crucial investment and the financial stability" of the railway.
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And to beat the price hike, which will happen on Sunday, 5 March, travellers should look into purchasing their tickets in advance.
Millions of travellers are going to be affected by the hike price in regulated train fares from TOMORROW (Getty Images)This is because any train tickets bought before tomorrow will be priced at current levels. This will help travellers make big savings.
Examples of annual season ticket rises based on a 5.9% hike include:
- Woking to London: Up £216 from £3,664 to £3,880.
- Liverpool to Manchester (any route): Up £169 from £2,864 to £3,033.
- Gloucester to Birmingham: Up £274 from £4,636 to £4,910.
Speaking about the increase, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "This is the biggest-ever government intervention in rail fares.
"I'm capping the rise well below inflation to help reduce the impact on passengers."
He added: "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.
"This is a fair balance between the passengers who use our trains and the taxpayers who help pay for them.”
Because inflation was at 12.3% for the qualifying month, the Government intervened and told train operators that they could not increase more than the average earnings growth of that month.
The 5.9% hike is therefore the maximum that the Government allowed.
This includes season tickets for most commuters, many long-distance off-peak return tickets and 'anytime' tickets near major cities.
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But fares may go up more or less than this fee, depending on your route.
Most train operators have not yet announced their plans for fare hikes.
Outside of regulated fares, train operators get to decide their own prices for 65 per cent of train trips.
These include first class and advance tickets.
Labour previously spoke up about the price hike, calling the increase “brutal” and said the “savage fare hike will be a sick joke for millions reliant on crumbling services.”
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh added: "People up and down this country are paying the price for 12 years of Tory failure.”
This comes following news that the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has arranged four more days of train strikes in March and April in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.
Strike action has disrupted train travel since last summer, with unions still unable to reach an agreement with rail bosses.