Today: 5 July 2025
1 March 2021
1 min read

Train Fares Rise above Inflation

Millions of train passengers in England and Wales will be hit by higher fares from Monday onwards as fares are expected to rise above inflation for the first time in eight years.

Ticket prices will increase by around 2.6 per cent, leading to accusations that the UK government is “pricing the railways out of existence”, Xinhua news agency quoted the Evening Standard newspaper as saying in a report.

The price hike represents the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation from July 2020, plus 1 percentage point, according to the newspaper.

Increases in around half of fares, including season tickets on most commuter routes, are regulated by the British, Scottish and Welsh governments, media reports said.

Passengers in Wales face a similar increase, whereas the Scottish government is implementing smaller rises of 1.6 per cent and 0.6 per cent for peak and off-peak travel respectively, the report said.

Examples of the potential fare hikes include a Brighton-London annual season ticket going up by 129 pounds ($180) to 5,109 pounds ($7,154) and a Manchester-Glasgow off-peak return increasing by 2.30 pounds ($3) to 90.60 pounds ($126), said the Evening Standard newspaper.

Fare hikes in England have mirrored RPI since January 2014, but the Department for Transport (DfT) axed the policy due to the “unprecedented taxpayer support” handed to the rail industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The British, Scottish and Welsh governments took over rail franchise agreements from train operators in March 2020, following the collapse in demand for travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is expected to cost the government alone around 10 billion pounds by mid-2021, said the newspaper.

Fares usually become more expensive on the first working day of every year, but the 2021 rise was deferred due to the pandemic, said the newspaper.

Previous Story

Pandemic Transformed Social Behaviour

Next Story

Art of thoughtful gifting

Latest from -Top News

BRICS must break the digital chains

BRICS nations need to build consensus, balance innovation and social justice by reinforcing the digital sovereignty of Global South, including evenly distribution of benefits through AI, writes Baidya Bikash Basu BRICS, the

G42 AI tool boosts procurement by 40%

Abu Dhabi’s tech giant leads the charge in AI-driven operational transformation with (In)Business Procurement platform. Abu Dhabi-based global technology powerhouse G42 has taken a major leap in enterprise digital transformation with the

ADX, banks launch region’s first digital bond

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has launched the pricing phase for the region’s first distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based bond, setting a new benchmark in financial innovation and blockchain integration. The bond, issued

Saudi, Indonesia seal $27bn in deals

Saudi Arabia and Indonesia deepen ties with $27bn in agreements, boosting trade, energy, defence and pilgrimage cooperation, signalling a new chapter in strategic partnership. Saudi Arabia and Indonesia inked a raft of

UN urges investments in Syria

Rebuilding Syria requires not only emergency relief but sustained investment in basic services, economic recovery, and stability, says UN Office in Syria. A high-level United Nations delegation has called for increased international
Go toTop