4.9% increase from 3rd March but 8.7% in Scotland

[whole diary]

[old original]

https://news.sky.com/story/rail-fares-to-go-up-by-nearly-5-next-year-department-for-transport-says-13036153

[grahame]

Also at https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67784711

Regulated train fares in England will rise by up to 4.9% from March, the Department for Transport has said.

The increase is capped below inflation and will be delayed from January when hikes usually come into force.

In the past, fares have risen based on July's retail price index (RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector, or Retail Price Index, depending on context)) measure of inflation, plus an additional 1%.

But the Department for Transport has decided to limit fare price increases for a second year in a row below July's RPI rate which was 9%.

The rise is announced after passengers have faced disruption to services due to strikes by rail workers over the past 18 months.

About 45% of fares are regulated, meaning they are directly influenced by the government.

These include most season tickets, travelcards, some off-peak returns, and anytime tickets around major cities.

[TaplowGreen]

Also at https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67784711

Regulated train fares in England will rise by up to 4.9% from March, the Department for Transport has said.

The increase is capped below inflation and will be delayed from January when hikes usually come into force.

In the past, fares have risen based on July's retail price index (RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector, or Retail Price Index, depending on context)) measure of inflation, plus an additional 1%.

But the Department for Transport has decided to limit fare price increases for a second year in a row below July's RPI rate which was 9%.

The rise is announced after passengers have faced disruption to services due to strikes by rail workers over the past 18 months.

About 45% of fares are regulated, meaning they are directly influenced by the government.

These include most season tickets, travelcards, some off-peak returns, and anytime tickets around major cities.

Given the huge hole in revenue, not much option really?

Taxpayer is already coughing up hundreds of millions of £ to plug the gap.

[Sixty3Closure]

Not really going to encourage people out of their cars though is it. Considering the governments (intermittent) enthusiasm for net zero and other things like ULEZ and low traffic zones you could argue that subsidising public transport is one of the better ways to achieve this. They're not exactly consistent though.

[ChrisB]

The Scottish increase is the first in two years as they held prices last year.

[grahame]

Press release, quoting Chris Page of Railfuture, just received

Rail passengers punished with inflation-busting fare rises

Most rail fares in Britain increase by 4.9% on Sunday, while inflation is
just 4%. "Why are rail passengers being punished year after year with
inflation-busting fare rises?" asked Chris Page, chair of the campaign group
Railfuture. "No matter that there's a cost of living crisis, no matter that
we're facing a climate emergency, the government seems more determined than
ever to price us off the railway and onto the roads.
Cars can be up to 15 times more polluting than trains, yet the government
consistently freezes fuel duty, encouraging us to use the dirty polluting
option. If the government wanted to be serious about going green, it would
be pushing rail as a solution.

"Motorists got a much better deal with the 'temporary' 5p fuel duty
reduction in 2022 which looks more and more like a permanent cut. The
government can find the money to sweeten the deal for motorists but won't do
anything about rail fares which are amongst the most expensive in Europe.

"Will next week's budget deliver a level playing field for the railway - or
will, yet again, the duty on road fuels be frozen? It would be grossly
unfair for rail travellers if they pay even more whilst motorists don't."


Notes to editors:


Railfuture is the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s leading independent organisation campaigning for better rail services for both passengers and freight.

Delighted to see that the "bigger and better railway" tagline has changed to "better rail services". It will often be a call for bigger ... but it's also a call for better in terms of more reliable, more affordable, more customer friendly ...

[Alan Pettitt]

Just been reminded by an email from Southern Railway that tickets purchased for travel after Sunday's increase can be bought at the current pre-increase prices until Saturday. I am buying all my next week's tickets now.

[broadgage]

I have long been critical of ever rising rail fares, whilst excise duties on petrol and diesel remain frozen.

[TaplowGreen]

I have long been critical of ever rising rail fares, whilst excise duties on petrol and diesel remain frozen.

Raising taxes on petrol/diesel is hugely inflationary and would have far reaching consequences throughout the economy, at a time when inflation needs to be kept/brought under control & reduced.

[Red Squirrel]

I have long been critical of ever rising rail fares, whilst excise duties on petrol and diesel remain frozen.

Raising taxes on petrol/diesel is hugely inflationary and would have far reaching consequences throughout the economy, at a time when inflation needs to be kept/brought under control & reduced.

Isn’t that also true of rail fares?

[ChrisB]

Bear in mind that the rise in out-boundary one-day travelcards, although saved, mean an agreed rise (between the Mayor & DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) of 7.9% for those fares.

[TaplowGreen]

I have long been critical of ever rising rail fares, whilst excise duties on petrol and diesel remain frozen.

Raising taxes on petrol/diesel is hugely inflationary and would have far reaching consequences throughout the economy, at a time when inflation needs to be kept/brought under control & reduced.

Isn’t that also true of rail fares?

Nothing like the same extent - demand for petrol/diesel is inelastic - it'll still get purchased, it'll just cost more as largely there is no alternative, and costs will get passed on by (for example) hauliers delivering goods, food etc to supermarkets, who in turn will pass on that rise to customers - hence inflationary.

Important to remember that the overall % of journeys made by train is tiny - whereas a rise in fuel duty affects every single driver.