Commuter rail fares to rise by up to 2.8% next year with RPI – the hike is unavoidable but “thinking outside the box” can cut costs, says MSE

Today the Office for National Statistics has confirmed that the RPI measure of inflation over the year to July was 2.8%. This month’s figure affects the price of regulated rail fares from January 2020, meaning commuters across Great Britain will see the price of some tickets (including season tickets) rise again next year.

Megan French, assistant news and features editor at MoneySavingExpert.com, said: "Commuters, especially, will be understandably angered by yet another hike in the cost of getting to work. For many this price rise is unavoidable – though you can and should make full use of the Delay Repay scheme to get cash back for delays and cancellations.

“Some can still make savings on their regular train travel by thinking outside the box – for example, check if you can save by combining a railcard with daily tickets rather than using a season ticket, or see if ‘split tickets’ are available for your route. If your employer allows you to work flexibly or you can travel at different times of day, you could see whether it's cheaper to swap your season ticket for other types, such as prepaid carnet tickets.”