Rail fares to rise by 3.8% in March to ‘ensure continued investment
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that in March, rail fares will rise by 3.8%.
According to the rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris, the fare will be capped “in line with inflation” and it would allow further investment in the railways.
Rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said they were being capped “in line with inflation” and it would allow further investment in the railways.
Before the pandemic, fares were raised each January based on the rate of retail price inflation (RPI) the previous July.
“Next year’s rail fare rise will be 3.8%, below current retail price inflation of 7.1 per cent,” the DfT said.
It added: “The government will not increase fares by RPI plus 1%, as it did in 2021.”
The DfT said the rise would help meet the costs of keeping services running during the pandemic and “pay for service increases and improvements on many lines which began this week”.
In addition, the scheme that allows last minute travel changes for passengers – without them being charged a fee – is being extended until the end of March. The scheme, Book with Confidence, allows travel changes right up until the evening before departure.
Mr Chris Heaton-Harris continued: “Delaying the changes until March 2022 offers people the chance to save money by renewing their fares at last year’s price.
“That includes the 100,000 people who are already making savings with cheaper and more convenient flexible season tickets.
“We’re driving ahead with the reforms in our Plan for Rail, creating a more passenger-focused railway that delivers a truly first-class service for everyone.”
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