Rail

Rail fares in England WON'T go up by 9% next year, the Government has announced. While the new fares are yet to be confirmed, any increase would come into force in March 2024.

Rail fares in England and Wales will rise by up to 5.9% this week. The increase will come into effect on 5 March. Before the coronavirus pandemic, fare hikes normally came into force in January but in 2021 and 2022 they arrived in March, and that'll also be the case for 2023. 

The Government has today (Tuesday 19 April) launched a 'rail sale' alongside 20 train operators, which will offer travellers around 50% off more than one million train tickets on journeys across England, Wales and parts of Scotland. Here's what you need to know. 

Train passengers in England, Scotland and Wales will be hit with the largest fare rise in nearly a decade, with ticket prices increasing by up to 3.8%. It is the biggest jump since 2013. 

From today, rail passengers in England, Scotland and Wales can get personalised updates on their journey from National Rail via WhatsApp. Updates include real-time details of delays, disruption and alternative travel routes. Passengers travelling to or from certain stations may also be able to get a free coffee, newspaper or snack this month when they sign-up to the alerts. 

Rail passengers in England and Wales could face ticket price hikes of up to 4.8% next year, which would make it the largest rise in a decade. Meanwhile, those in Scotland could see increases of 3.8% if fares continue to be linked to July's retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation. 

Flexible train season tickets will be available to buy across England from next month, as part of a wide-reaching Government shake-up of rail fares. A new refund system for delayed and cancelled trains has also been announced.

ScotRail has scrapped plans to let passengers wee for free at four of its stations. 

Passengers will no longer have to pay to spend a penny in the busiest train stations, as all toilets in Network Rail-operated stations are free to use from today.

Rail companies will start measuring the punctuality of their trains by the minute from April.