Rail fares across Great Britain have increased by 5.1% in the year to March 2025, according to new figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The rise outpaces the 3.2% rate of inflation measured by the retail prices index over the same period, and comes as cost pressures hit passengers across the network.
Unregulated long-distance advance fares rose by 5.9%, while advance tickets on trains in south-east England climbed by almost 10%. Regulated fares, which include season and anytime urban tickets and account for around half of all journeys, were capped at 4.6% in England and Wales and 3.8% in Scotland.
Campaigners said passengers were being priced off the railway. Ben Plowden, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Rising rail fares are putting people off using the railways and making rail travel unaffordable. The government must make fares and ticketing reforms a priority under Great British Railways to help tackle inflation-busting fare rises and make rail travel more affordable for more people.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged passenger frustration, saying: “I understand that passengers are frustrated rail fares keep rising despite unacceptable levels of delays and cancellations, which is why this government made sure this was the lowest increase in three years, and below the growth in average earnings. We inherited a railway that was not fit for purpose, and I know it will take time for trust to be restored.”
The figures show a change from previous patterns, where cheaper advance fares offered more affordable options; now these are rising faster than regulated fares. The government had set regulated increases at 1% above the RPI rate in July 2024, resulting in the 4.6% cap for the current year.
