Time for the Transport Secretary to act, rail fare increases would only heap further misery onto passengers
There is an air of resignation amongst frequent rail passengers. Despite the numerous laments over the years, nothing ever changes, including the cost of rail travel going up. So regulated train fares potentially increasing by 5.8 per cent next year will come as no surprise to them.
And in return for ever-increasing costs, passengers get a worsening service every year. In fact punctuality in Britain is at its lowest level since 2020.
The potential rise is based on the Office for National Statistics announcing that Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation rose to 4.8 per cent in July.
The Government has not confirmed how it will determine the cap on regulated fare rises in 2026, but this year’s 4.6 per cent hike was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024.
A flexi ticket for travel two days per week over a year from Liverpool to Manchester would increase by £120.30 to £2,195.10.
This will provide little comfort for those who are reliant on the trains. It’s no surprise that a lot of passengers, who can stay away, have not returned to the trains post-pandemic.
When it comes to poor service, Yorkshire has seen more than its fair share of cancellations and delays. Hardly providing value for money.
And this weekend rail passengers across the country will once again feel the brunt of an unreliable rail network with Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at CrossCountry taking industrial action on Saturday and bank holiday Monday.
The honeymoon period for the Government is over and it is time that passengers heard from the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. The Yorkshire Post has seen transport secretaries come and go and a failure to act upon passenger concerns has been their undoing.