2018 Rail Fares

2018 Rail Fares

Rail fares for 2018 published

On average, train fares will increase by 3.4% from 2 January 2018, below the regulated fares increase (3.6%, July RPI) and current inflation (4%, October RPI), train companies have confirmed.

• Britain’s partnership railway is doing more to keep down the cost of travel;
- 26-30 railcard trial launch
- more railcards going digital
- cheap advance fares now available on the day

• Last year, private investment in rail - £925m - was the highest in a decade while government support for the rail industry was at a record low

• £2.2bn transformation in day-to-day running costs underpins long-term plan to improve the railway for customers, the economy and communities, with many services set to be transformed in the next 18 months alone

People can find the new fares and buy tickets online and at ticket offices from 5 December.

Over 97% of money from fares goes back into improving and running the railway, underpinning the rail industry's long-term plan to work together to change and improve services for customers, the economy, communities and people who work in rail.

In the next 18 months alone, this plan will see services in many parts of the country transformed with more trains, better services and improved stations. This includes Crossrail, Thameslink, Edinburgh-Glasgow, Great Western, Waterloo and the South West, and upgrades in the Midlands and the North.

Investment in rail is supported by a transformation in rail finances over the last 20 years from a £2bn deficit in 1997-98, footed by the taxpayer, to a £200m surplus.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group which brings together train companies and Network Rail to enable a better railway, said:

“Government controls increases to almost half of fares, including season tickets, with the rest heavily influenced by the payments train companies make to government. Alongside investment from the public and private sectors, money from fares is underpinning the partnership railway’s long-term plan to change and improve. Working together, our plan will secure £85bn of additional economic benefits while enabling further investment and improved journeys for customers, better connections to boost local communities and a bright future for our employees."

Rail companies are working together to deliver more than £50billion of improvements, including private sector investment of £11.6billion on 5,700 new train carriages by 2021.

To find out more about the work to upgrade Britain's railway go to www.britainrunsonrail.co.uk

For more about your rail fare go to www.nationalrail.co.uk/fares

Rail Delivery Group Travel Agents Team