Rail fares to rise by 3.1% in January

Millions of commuters will have to pay an average of 3.1% more for rail tickets from 2 January.

The increase, which is slightly higher than the 2.9% rise for this year, means another £100 on the cost of season tickets for many commuters.

The rise, announced by industry body the Rail Delivery Group comes after a year of timetable chaos, strikes, and delays on some parts of the network.

The increase affects about 40% of fares, including season tickets.

The rise is regulated by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments and is predominantly capped at July’s RPI figure, which was 3.2%.

There had been calls for prices to be frozen following chaos caused by the implementation of new timetables in May.

Fewer than half (45%) of passengers are satisfied with the value for money of train tickets, according to a survey by watchdog Transport Focus.