UK FARES ON TRACK TO SOAR – Rail campaigners warn of 5.6% ticket hike in 2026
Train passengers in England could soon be facing yet another blow to their wallets, with fares potentially rising by as much as 5.6% next year — a move campaigners say risks pricing people off the railways altogether.
The annual increase in regulated rail fares — which cover nearly half of all journeys, including commuter season tickets, off-peak returns on long-distance routes, and flexible urban rail tickets — is tied to July’s inflation reading.
Economists expect the retail prices index (RPI) for July to sit at around 4.6%. And if ministers follow last year’s pattern of adding an extra percentage point, passengers could be looking at a staggering 5.6% hike in March 2026.
Rail campaign group Railfuture has called the move “outrageous.” Spokesperson Bruce Williamson was blunt: “What would be the justification for jacking up fares above inflation? There isn’t any. It’s ripping off the customer, driving people off the trains and on to our congested road network, which is in no one’s interest.”
The Department for Transport has said it will provide an update on changes to regulated fares later this year. Until then, passengers are left in limbo — wondering whether the cost of their daily commute is about to rise yet again.
A 5.8% increase in rail fares would see the cost of an annual season ticket for travel between Gloucester and Birmingham rise by £312 from £5,384 to £5,696, while an annual season ticket between Woking and London would climb by £247 from £4,260 to £4,507.
