Rail fare rise of 4.9% - Campaign for Better Transport reacts

Friday, 22 December 2023 13:35

Responding to the announcement that rail fares will rise by 4.9 per cent from March 2024, Michael Solomon Williams, from charity Campaign for Better Transport, said: “We are being asked to be thankful for small mercies, but raising rail fares next year when fuel duty remains frozen sends the wrong message about how we want and need people to travel. To tackle air pollution, congestion and climate change, rail travel needs to be an affordable choice, not a...Request free trial

Responding to the announcement that rail fares will rise by 4.9 per cent from March 2024, Michael Solomon Williams, from charity Campaign for Better Transport, said:

“We are being asked to be thankful for small mercies, but raising rail fares next year when fuel duty remains frozen sends the wrong message about how we want and need people to travel. To tackle air pollution, congestion and climate change, rail travel needs to be an affordable choice, not a luxury.”

Regulated rail fares, including standard day returns, season tickets and most commuter fares, make up almost half (45 per cent) of all fares and increases are set by the Government. Usually fares rise by the previous July’s RPI figure but in 2022, to avoid a double-digit fare rise, the Government used the average earnings growth rate instead and postponed the rise until 5 March (instead of January) 2023.

This meant fares rose by 5.9 per cent this year, rather than 12.3 per cent (July 2022’s RPI figure), but this was still the highest rise in a decade (fares rose at six per cent in 2012).

Today’s announcement means that out of 40 popular commuter routes into London, 5 will see season tickets newly go above £5,000 next year, and 3 will pass the £6,000 mark with an annual season ticket from Southampton to London costing over £7,000 (£7,150).

ENDS

See examples of season ticket costs into London

See examples of season ticket costs into regional stations

For further information please contact the press office on 07984 773 468 (calls only no texts) or communications@bettertransport.org.uk.

Notes to Editors

RPI for July 2023 was 9%.

In April to June 2023, annual growth in regular pay (excluding bonuses) was 7.8%; this is the highest regular annual growth rate since comparable records began in 2001.

	Annual fare rise %	RPI figure % the previous July	CPI figure % at that time
2011	5.8	4.8*	3.3
2012	6	5.0*	4.5
2013	4.2	3.2*	2.8
2014	3.1	3.1	2.6
2015	2.5	2.5	1.5
2016	1.1	1.1	0
2017	1.9	1.9	0.7
2018	3.6	3.6	2.6
2019	3.2	3.2	2.5
2020	2.8	2.8	2.1
2021	2.6	2.6	1.0
2022	3.8	3.8	2.0
2023	5.9**	12.3	10.1
2024	4.9	9.0	6.8

*Fares rose at RPI+1 for these years **Fares rose at 5.9% after government intervention

RPI and CPI figures: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/czbh/mm23

The 13-year long fuel duty freeze has meant a real terms tax cut for motorists which has benefitted the top fifth of earners twice as much as the bottom fifth: 12% of the benefits go to the poorest fifth, while 26% go to the richest.

The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, published in May 2021, promised a fundamental reorganisation of the rail sector and a ‘root and branch’ reform of the ticketing system’ to provide a better deal for rail passengers. The reform of the ticketing system has yet to take place.