Railway
fares
will
rise
in
March
next
year


but
not
by
the
Retail
Prices
Index
in
July,
which
was
9
per
cent. 

Instead,
it
is
expected
that
the
increase
will
be
based
for
the
second
year
running
on
Average
Earnings
Growth,
which
was
5.9
per
cent
in
the
quarter
to
July
2022
and
used
to
decide
this
year’s
changes.

The
2024
increase
applying
to
train
operators
in
England
is
due
to
be
announced
next
month.
Any
changes
in
Scotland,
Wales
and
Northern
Ireland
will
be
decided
separately,
usually
by
the
devolved
governments.

But
the
prospect
of
any
increase
has
already
ignited
criticism.

ASLEF
general
secretary
Mick
Whelan
said:
‘After
all
the
effort
by
rail
workers
to
keep
Britain’s
railway
network
running
during
17
hard
months
of
lockdown,
to
keep
key
workers
and
essential
services
moving
around
this
country,
and
after
all
the
work
done
to
encourage
people
back
on
to
our
trains
post-pandemic,
I
am
shocked,
but
not
surprised,
that
this
government
is
putting
up
fares
yet
again.

‘We
should
be
encouraging
more
people
to
use
our
trains
–
taking
cars
off
the
roads
and
reducing
carbon
emissions
–
but
this
will
only
deter
passengers
from
travelling.
I’m
afraid
this
government
either
doesn’t
understand,
or
simply
doesn’t
care,
what
it
is
doing.’

‘I
do
hope
the
government
doesn’t
try
to
tell
anyone
this
is
our
fault.
It
isn’t.
This
is
a
fare
rise
made
in
Downing
Street,
and
at
the
DfT,
by
people
who
don’t
want
our
railways
to
thrive
for
passengers
and
businesses
in
Britain.’

Transport
Focus
chief
executive
Anthony
Smith
said:
‘Nobody
likes
their
fare
going
up,
but
after
a
year
where
many
journeys
have
been
blighted
by
disruption
due
to
industrial
action
and
patchy
performance,
passengers
will
be
relieved
to
hear
that
fares
will
be
capped
below
the
Retail
Prices
Index
and
any
increases
will
be
delayed
until
March
next
year.’