Train passengers have seen a 5.1% rise in their ticket prices across the UK when compared to last Summer, almost double the rate of inflation. During the same time period, inflation has risen by 3.2% measured by the Retail Prices Index.
By April 2025, regulated rail fares had seen an increase of 4.5% in England and Wales, which is slightly below the cap of 4.6% set by the Department of Transport and Scotland had hit its cap of 3.8%. Advance fares on trains in London and South-East England (which accounts for almost half of rail fare revenue) have seen a rise by almost 10%.
People have started to speak out against the huge price hike, with Ben Plowden, the chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, saying, "Rising rail fares are putting people off using the railways and making rail travel unaffordable. The government must make fares and ticketing reforms a priority under Great British Railways to help tackle inflation-busting fare rises and make rail travel more affordable for more people."
As a result of the backlash, Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said, "I understand that passengers are frustrated rail fares keep rising despite unacceptable levels of delays and cancellations, which is why this government made sure this was the lowest increase in three years, and below the growth in average earnings."
With the rise in rail fare, we'll have to wait and see if this trend continues into 2026, but thankfully, there are ways you can save extra cash on your tickets. Look through our discount pages for the Trainline, Railcard and TrainPal to tackle the rise of inflation today!
