Millions of train passengers face a hike in fares of nearly 5% next year, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

In England, regulated rail fares will increase by up to 4.9% from 3 March 2024.

Regulated rail fares include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long distance routes and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.

The government said the new 4.9% cap is lower than the equivalent in Scotland, where prices will increase by up to 8.7%.

Politics Live: Warning over ‘catastrophic’ new visa rules for migrant care workers

However Labour called it “another brutal bumper rise in rail fares” following this year’s 6% hike.

Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “With passengers facing record delays and cancellations and delays, this is an insult to millions. Labour will reform our broken railways and finally put passengers first.”

Regulated fares are overseen by the government following the privatisation of the rails.

The DfT said the new increase is “significantly lower” than July’s RPI measure of inflation, which is traditionally used to determine annual fare rises, and was 9.0%.

It is also lower than 2023’s cap on increases in regulated fares which was 5.9% – the largest rise in a decade.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “This is a significant intervention by the government to cap the increase in rail fares below last year’s rise.

“Changed working patterns after the pandemic means that our railways are still losing money and require significant subsidies, so this rise strikes a balance to keep our railways running, while not overburdening passengers.

“We remain committed to supporting the rail sector reform outdated working practices to help put it on a sustainable financial footing.”

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Related posts:

Wales to delay easing of lockdown restrictions for further four weeks Duchess of Cambridge sets up early childhood research centre Met Office to issue first ever extreme heat warning amid sweltering conditions across UK UK records 39,950 new cases and 19 more coronavirus-related deaths Amazon to stop accepting payments using UK-issued Visa credit cards Police charge 27 people over riot sparked by death of teenager Queen meets Justin Trudeau in first in-person engagement since catching COVID ‘He can be our wingman!’ Tom Cruise spotted at Gloucestershire air show More than 200 arrested and drugs, guns and swords seized during county lines crackdown Nurse struck off after secret lover patient dies in car Girl in hospital after ant infestation causes septic shock One in five have seen someone mocked because of their learning disability