Train prices will remain unchanged following many years of unfair and excessive increases.

In a move to ease the financial burden on commuters, rail fares have been frozen for the first time in 30 years. The constant rise in ticket prices has been a major concern for passengers, with some even resorting to booking months in advance to keep costs down. Others have turned to alternative modes of transportation, such as flying, due to the cheaper fares.

However, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander have announced plans to freeze ticket prices in the upcoming budget. This means that passengers will not see any increase in the cost of getting from A to B. According to the Treasury, this will result in significant savings for commuters, with some saving more than £300 per year on more expensive routes.

Before this announcement, it was reported in August that train fares in England were expected to increase by 5.8% in 2026. This was met with backlash from campaign groups who labeled it an "outrageous rip off". The government had already seen a 60% increase in ticket prices from 2010 to 2025. But with this new freeze, millions of passengers will not have to pay a penny more on season tickets, peak returns, and off-peak returns between major cities.

The freeze applies to all regulated fares, including seasons, peak returns, and off-peak returns between major cities. This is estimated to impact more than a billion passenger journeys across England. For example, a typical commuter using flexi-season tickets to travel three days a week will save £57 per year from Bradford to Leeds, £315 per year from Milton Keynes to London, and £173 per year from Woking to London.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated that this freeze is a choice to ease the pressure on household finances and make traveling more affordable for everyone. The Transport Secretary added that this is part of their wider plans to rebuild Great British Railways and create a reliable and efficient system that the public can be proud of.

The freeze also comes after new rail fares were introduced earlier this year, with a 5.1% increase compared to a 3.2% increase in the Retail Prices Index. While the regulated ticket prices have increased by 4.5%, which is slightly under the 4.6% cap in England and Wales, they have risen by 3.8% in Scotland. This has been met with criticism from Labour, who said that ticket prices rose by 60% under the Conservatives.

However, the Conservatives have welcomed this announcement, stating that they have always been in favor of keeping fares on the right track with below-inflation rises. They also mentioned that they consistently called for no further hikes to protect hard-working commuters. The watchdog Transport Focus has also praised this move, stating that there is a difficult balance between fares and public subsidy, and this announcement is a step in the right direction.

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