Rail fare increases: Interactive map shows how you could be affected by huge price hike
Football March 01, 2025 01:39 AM

Millions of train travellers will be hit with price hikes of up to 17% from Sunday.

. But the price of most railcards will jump from £30 to £35, a rise of almost 17% and the first increase in 12 years. The latest annual rise in ticket prices is another blow for households, coming ahead of a separate wave in bill increases next month, when everything from and to will go up.

The fare cap on bus travel in England jumped by 50%, from £2 to £3, last month. Silviya Barrett, of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “With the cost of living weighing heavy on many households, this is yet another blow. For many, the rise will be significant, and it’s especially disappointing that even railcards are going up in price after being protected for years. As the Government works to reform the railways, it must review the way fares are set and make them more affordable, or risk driving people off rail for good.”

Campaign for Better Transport analysis of season ticket costs reveals that out of 40 popular commuter routes into London, 12 will now cost more than £6,000 a year. An annual season ticket from Canterbury, Kent, to London will increase by £310 a year to £7,100, while the same from Southampton will go up by £329 to £7,477. Commuters and others elsewhere in the country will also be hit. An annual season ticket from Macclesfield to will rise by £146, to £3,326, while an annual season ticket from York to Leeds will rise by £133 to £3,029.

A season ticket from Burton-on-Trent to Birmingham will go up by £165 to £3,757 a year, while commuters going from Westbury into Wiltshire to Bristol will see an annual ticket jump by £135 to £3,059. And commuters to Liverpool face an average £72 rise, to £1,638 a year, with those travelling from Runcorn needing to find £2,071 a year, up £91.

More than seven million people have railcards, saving them at least a third off rail travel. But all but the Disabled Person Railcard will increase for those renewing or getting a new one. The one-year 16-17 Saver, 16 to 25 Railcard, 26 to 30 Railcard, Family and Friends Railcard, Network Railcard, Senior Railcard, Two Together Railcard and Veterans Railcard will rise to £35 The three-year 16 to 25 Railcard, Family and Friends Railcard, Senior Railcard and Veterans Railcard will go up £10 to £80. The Disabled Persons Railcard will remain at its current price of £20 for a one-year Railcard and £54 for a three-year Railcard.

Network Rail said the extra money generated “will go towards keeping train services running, funding improvements and delivering a more reliable and sustainable service with a better overall experience for passengers”. To avoid being charged the higher railcard price, online applications must be completed by 10pm on Saturday. And you can only renew your railcard up to 30 days in advance.

said: “I understand that passengers are frustrated rail fares keep rising despite unacceptable levels of delays and cancellations, which is why this Government made sure this was the lowest increase in three years, and below the growth in average earnings.

“We inherited a railway that was not fit for purpose, and I know it will take time for trust to be restored, with trains turning up on time, when and where they’re needed. My number one priority is getting the railways back to a place where people can rely on them and, through public ownership and the creation of Great British Railways, we’ll be putting passengers at the heart of everything we do, delivering the services they deserve and encouraging growth across the country delivering on our Plan for Change.”

Labour has begun the process of renationalising big chunks of the railways, through bringing franchises back under public ownership..

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