Train fare increase – how much has the cost of rail travel gone up for 2019 and why are tickets more expensive now?

COMMUTING in the United Kingdom becomes more expensive every year, with some finding it increasingly difficult to be able to afford it.

Here, we look at how much rail fares have increased for 2023 and why the prices have risen.

How much has my train fare increased in 2023?

The cost to travel by train has risen by 5.9 per cent from 2022.

The prize rose on March 5, 2023.

The annual cost weekly commute from Oxford to London will now set you back £6,096 if you purchase a season ticket.

This is £339 more expensive than what it would have cost in 2022.

The government claim that the rise is necessary in order to support investment as well as the financial stability of the railway.

Transport secretary Mark harper explained the rise in December 2022, saying: “This is the biggest-ever government intervention in rail fares.

“I’m capping the rise well below inflation to help reduce the impact on passengers.

“It has been a difficult year and the impact of inflation is being felt across the UK economy.

“We do not want to add to the problem.

“This is a fair balance between the passengers who use our trains and the taxpayers who help pay for them.”

UK trains are the most expensive in Europe, and have been for some time.

This is due to the fact that unlike countries from the continent, the UK doesn't have fixed rates for their train services.

It was claimed in January 2023 that train companies had made a £10million profit due to being on new contracts since the pandemic.

The RMT's argument to this was that if this was true, they could have given rail workers a 10.6 per cent pay rise.

In some instances, this is true.

A Sunderland fan proved this point in May 2022 when he was going to watch his team play in the League One Play-off final at Wembley.

He found that flying from Newcastle to Menorca, staying in a hostel overnight and then making his way to London only cost him £51.

This is in comparison to the £260 his friend paid for a return ticket by train between Newcastle and London.

With rail fares increasing further for 2023, this problem will only get worse.

Rail companies are still trying to make up for revenue lost during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government say that higher fares are necessary to shift the burden of funding the railways from taxpayers to farepayers.