Rail fares in England are set to increase by nearly 6 per cent in March, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
The DfT confirmed a cap increase of 5.8 per cent for fares regulated by the government from March 5, including season tickets on most commuter journeys as well as some off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.
It has been argued that this is 6.4 percentage points lower than the inflation figure which is often used to raise fares. While train operators set unregulated fares, their decisions are heavily influenced by the government due to contracts introduced through the coronavirus pandemic.
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.
“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.”
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