March’s rail fare rise

On Tuesday 1 March, national rail fares will go up by 3.8 per cent, and bus and tube fares in London by 4.8 per cent. Commenting ahead of the increase, Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said:

“Less than a week after Covid restrictions end, this fare rise couldn’t come at a worst time and will simply add to the cost-of-living crisis. We need to get people back into workplaces, eating in town centre cafes and shopping on their lunchbreaks to help kick start the economy. But now that many people have a choice about how many days they go into the office, higher fares and crowded trains as a result of service reductions aren’t very appealing and risks people working from home more or driving into work instead, further adding to congestion and air pollution.

“If the Government is serious about shrinking transport’s carbon footprint and growing the economy, it should make rail the affordable choice with better value flexible season tickets and an immediate reform of the fares and ticketing system.”

Campaign for Better Transport has calculated that from Tuesday (1 March), the average full-time worker commuting from Brighton into London will have to work until 19 April (seven weeks) just to pay for their annual season ticket. A commuter travelling from York into Leeds will have to work over a month until 5 April (five weeks), while a commuter travelling from Burton on Trent into Birmingham will have to work until 12 April (six weeks).