Rail fare rises in England will not exceed 9% next year and will be delayed until March, the government has said.
Ticket costs used to increase in January in line with inflation as measured by the retail prices index over the 12 months to the previous July. On Wednesday the Office for National Statistics revealed last month’s RPI rate was 9%.
However, this year, for the first time in more than 25 years, the government opted instead to raise fares from March in line with the UK’s average earnings growth of 5.9% in the quarter to July 2022, rather than by that month’s RPI figure of 12.3%.
The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed that it would again delay the change in ticket costs and any increase would be below RPI.
John Glen, the chief secretary to the Treasury, told Sky News on Wednesday: “We have said that we will keep it below inflation. Obviously I will be working closely with Mark Harper, the secretary of state [for transport], on what mechanism to use.
“But there are tough decisions now around how to use his budget in a way that suits commuters and suits the economy as a whole – delicate, difficult decisions. We have not come to the end of that discussion yet.”
The government has not revealed how next year’s rail fail increase will be calculated, but average earnings growth in the three months to June was 7.8%. The figure for July will be published on 12 September.
The Scottish and Welsh governments have not announced their rail fare plans for 2024. Fares in Northern Ireland are set by the operator Translink.
Despite the DfT’s pledge, any significant rise in rail fares is likely to draw the ire of campaigners and rail users after a raft of delays and cancellations caused by a long-running dispute between the government and the unions over pay, jobs and conditions.
Adrian Ramsay, the Green party co-leader, has called on the government to freeze rail fares and reverse plans to close ticket offices, in order to make train travel less expensive and more attractive so the country can meet its climate change targets.
He said: “If the UK is to meet its climate commitments then we need more people choosing trains over cars and planes, and we need more commuters opting for public transport and active travel to get to work. Making train travel more expensive, while closing rail ticket offices that support travellers to get the best deal, would underscore the government’s contempt for climate action and the travelling public.”
Anthony Smith, the chief executive of the passenger watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Nobody likes their fare going up, but after a year where many journeys have been blighted by disruption due to industrial action and patchy performance, passengers will be relieved to hear that fares will be capped below the retail price index (RPI) and any increases will be delayed until March next year.”
