Commuters taken for a ride' with train fares set to rise by 5.8% next year

Train fares in England are now expected to rise by a higher-than-anticipated 5.8% next year, prompting alarm among passenger groups.

- Joanna Partridge

Rail ticket increases are usually calculated by adding 1 percentage point to July's inflation reading on the retail prices index (RPI), which yesterday came in 0.2 points above forecasts, at 4.8%.

The government has not yet confirmed how it will calculate rail fare increases for 2026 regulated fares, which account for about half of rail journeys.

They would rise by 5.8% if ministers follow the pattern of last year, when they rose by 4.6% in March.

This would be higher than the predicted 5.6% increase, after the consumer and RPI measures of inflation rose more than expected in July, fuelled by higher food prices and travel costs, particularly air fares.

Before July's figures, passenger groups had warned such fare increases risked pricing out some passengers, at a time of a squeeze on consumers' wallets.