London commuters face ‘biggest fare rises in decade to hit trains’

Commuters at Westminster Underground station in London
PA Wire

London commuters were on Wednesday warned they face their biggest fares increase for a decade in the New Year.

Fares on the Tube, bus and Overground could rise by almost five per cent, the highest since 2012, in January.

Under TfL’s financial rescue plan agreed with the Government in May last year, fares must go up by one per cent more than July’s retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation, which was on Wednesday revealed to be 3.8 per cent.

Season ticket prices on the national railways are also usually linked to the RPI, but the Government said any decision on increases will be deferred until later in the year.

Emma Gibson, director of London TravelWatch, said: “Fares in London need to be affordable if people are to be tempted back to public transport.

“It is especially important that bus fares are kept low, as buses are most used by lower-income Londoners and key workers who are often not able to work from home.”

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “A reliable and fairly-priced public transport network is fundamental to the success of the small business community.”

However, Mayor Sadiq Khan said no immediate decision would be made on the level of fare rises until later in the year when factors such as “the prevailing economic circumstances, ridership levels and how any increase is split across different modes of transport” would all be taken into account.

His spokeswoman said: “The Mayor was forced to agree to an overall fares increase of RPI+1 per cent in May last year, as a condition of the first emergency TfL funding deal — which was only required because Londoners followed government guidance and stayed at home, causing fares income to plummet.”

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “No decision has been made on national rail fares.”

Paul Tuohy, chief executive of lobby group Campaign for Better Transport, said: “The railway... will play a key role in a green economic recovery, so we want to see riders given the same break drivers had with the fuel duty freeze.”

Meanwhile, the CPI fell from 2.5 to two per cent last month, according to the ONS. But it is forecast to rise to four per cent by the end of the year.

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