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%.

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“We remain committed to supporting the rail sector reform outdated working practices to help put it on a sustainable financial footing.”

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