Rail fare increases

Photo: Mo Nkey

Inter City 125 High Speed Train at Castleton Station

An average 2.8% increase in rail fares comes into effect today (2 January).

The increase is the smallest rise in four years, according to the pan-industry Rail Delivery Group.

Chancellor George Osborne said in last month's Autumn Statement he would keep fares in line with July's Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation rate of 3.1%.

But campaigners say that fares are rising three times faster than incomes.

Some regulated tickets, including season tickets, anytime and off-peak tickets, have risen on average by 3.1%.

Unregulated fares are not capped. But a number of these, typically off-peak leisure tickets, have gone up by much less than 3.1%.

More than 50 Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green, Plaid Cymru and SNP MPs have signed a parliamentary motion calling for the renationalisation of the UK's railways.