Train fares in England and Wales are set to increase by approximately 4.6% from today, Sunday. Railcards will also becoming pricier, despite the record low reliability of services.
Public transport campaigners have warned that this fare hike will “pile further misery on hard-pressed households”, as many commuters will be forced to shell out hundreds of pounds more annually for travel. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has acknowledged the frustration of passengers.
The UK Government has set a cap of 4.6% for increases in regulated fares in England, such as season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance routes, and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.
This will add roughly £187 to the cost of an annual season ticket from Woking to London, while a York to Leeds 12-month pass will become about £133 more expensive. Operators determine rises in unregulated fares, although these are also likely to rise by around 4.6% as their finances are closely controlled by governments.
The Welsh Government has matched the Westminster administration’s cap on rises in regulated fares, while Transport for Wales is applying various increases to its unregulated fares. From Sunday, Transport for London will increase Tube and rail fares in the capital by 4.6%, but bus and tram fares will remain unchanged.
Railcards in Britain – excluding those specifically for disabled passengers – will also become more expensive for the first time since 2013 from Sunday. The cost of a three-year railcard is set to jump from £70 to £80, while the price for a one-year card will see an increase from £30 to £35.
Ms Alexander said: “I understand that passengers are frustrated rail fares keep rising despite unacceptable levels of delays and cancellations, which is why this Government made sure this was the lowest increase in three years, and below the growth in average earnings. We inherited a railway that was not fit for purpose, and I know it will take time for trust to be restored, with trains turning up on time, when and where they’re needed.”
Further highlighting her primary focus, she said that her “number one priority” is to get the railways “back to a place where people can rely on them”, outlining the plan of bringing operators into public ownership and establishing the new public sector body Great British Railways to manage train services and rail infrastructure.
Michael Solomon Williams from the Campaign for Better Transport expressed concerns over families already on the financial edge. He said: “With food and energy costs going up, today’s rail fare rise will pile further misery on hard-pressed households.
“Cost is the number one barrier to getting more people travelling by rail, so the Government must address the rising cost of train travel as part of its forthcoming rail reforms.” Calling on the Government to consider the impact of escalating train travel expenses within its impending rail reforms, he cautioned that public support for a nationalised railway system would significantly dwindle if fares continued to escalate.
Alex Robertson, the chief executive of regulatory body Transport Focus, added: “Our research shows there is a clear mismatch between ticket prices and the service people receive. This needs to change.” Acknowledging the precarious state of the country’s railways, a representative conceded that finding the right balance between funding trains through fares and taxes is challenging.
Passengers, as they “rightly expect… to see improvements for the money they have paid”, are growing increasingly frustrated with the industry. Speaking on behalf of the Rail Delivery Group, which encompasses various operators, the spokesperson said: “The money people pay for their train tickets keeps services running and helps to fund important improvements.”
The statement continued: “Sometimes the reliability of these services falls below expectations, and we are determined to fix that.”
Recent analysis by PA news agency, studying data from the rail regulator, suggests dependability on British railways has plummeted to an all-time low, with over 4% of services being cancelled in the year leading up to February 1.
Common factors like staff strikes and manpower deficits have largely been blamed for undercutting performance. Coming into effect from April 1, the Scottish Government has decreed a 3.8% hike in all ScotRail fares.
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, expressed solidarity with government plans for a new public entity, Great British Railways: “We have strongly supported the Government’s proposals for a publicly-owned Great British Railways, and we now want to work with ministers to build on this good start, developing a plan that could fund a fare freeze for passengers.”
Lynch proposes potential savings of £630 million annually if rail contracts such as cleaning, catering, and track renewals were internalised post-expiration and profiteering in rolling stock leases addressed. According to him, this sum could adequately accommodate a comprehensive fare freeze.