Price of train tickets up 4.6% and railcards to cost an extra £5

Rail passengers in England and Wales face a steep increase in the cost of travel from tomorrow, with fares rising by 4.6% and most railcards going up by £5.

- Gwyn Topham

The government said the increase is needed because of the dire financial state of the railway, but transport campaigners contrasted it with Labour prolonging the freeze on fuel duty for motorists.

This weekend's fare increase is only the second time the government has raised fares above the rate of inflation since 2013 - the other being in 2021 when the Covid pandemic had stopped most rail revenue.

London Underground and other rail fares in the capital will also match the national rise, going up by an average of 4.6% across the network, although bus fares will be frozen.