UK rail fares are set to increase by 3.6 percent from January – the biggest increase in five years.
The government’s increase in rail fares is linked to July’s Retail Prices Index measure of inflation. Commuters are likely to be worst hit by the change.
Unions have been holding demonstrations at railways in protest.
“The private operators and government say the rises are necessary to fund investment but the reality is that they are pocketing the profits while passengers are paying more for less with rail engineering work being delayed or cancelled, skilled railway jobs being lost and staff cut on trains, stations and at ticket offices.” said RMT general secretary, Mick Cash.
The change in ticket prices will apply to an estimated 40 percent of fares. This will include season tickets on commuter journeys, off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys and anytime tickets around major cities. So-called regulated fares are set by the government but normally provide the benchmark for rises across the network.
The rail industry defended the government’s move.
“Money from fares pays to run and improve the railway, making journeys better, boosting the economy, creating skilled jobs and supporting communities across Britain. It’s also the case that many major rail industry costs rise directly in line with RPI.” said chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, Paul Plummer.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “We are investing in the biggest rail modernisation programme for over a century to improve services for passengers – providing faster and better trains with more seats,”
“We have always fairly balanced the cost of this investment between the taxpayer and the passenger.”
In Scotland, off-peak fares will rise by a smaller amount. The Scottish government limits the rises in off-peak fares to RPI minus 1 percent.
There are zero plans for fare increases in Northern Ireland.