British rail fares have been going up and up and up over the past three decades. Every single year they’ve increased according to the retail price index (RPI) revealed the previous July – often somewhere between four and five percent. But in 2026, that’s not going to happen. In major news for commuters, the government has announced that rail fares will be staying exactly the same.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: ‘Next week at the Budget I’ll set out the fair choices to deliver on the country’s priorities to cut NHS waiting lists, cut national debt and cut the cost of living.
‘That’s why we’re choosing to freeze rail fares for the first time in 30 years, which will ease the pressure on household finances and make travelling to work, school or to visit friends and family that bit easier.’
The cap won’t apply to all train journeys in England, though. Here’s everything we know about the rail fare freezes in 2026.
Which train journey fares are being frozen in 2026?
The freeze will apply to all rail fares that are regulated by the government, which covers around 45 percent of rail fares. That includes season tickets, day singles and returns, and off-peak and peak returns between major cities.
The government said that the cap is expected to benefit more than a billion passenger journeys. It said that commuters travelling three days a week between Milton Keynes and London will save £315 year, between Woking and London will save £173 each year and between Bradford to Leeds will save £57 each year.
Which train journeys are increasing in price in 2026?
Train operators will still be allowed to increase prices for unregulated fares, and the downfall of the freeze is that any rise in cost of running Britain’s railways will have to be covered by the unregulated tickets. In March 2025, unregulated fares were put up by 5.5 percent.
For Londoners, the freeze could mean a larger increase on the tube, tram and bus fares in 2026. At the moment, it’s assumed that the increase will be around 5.8 percent. We’ll find out soon – TfL normally announces its fare changes in December.
ICYMI: These are the busiest travel days predicted for Christmas 2025.
Plus: A petition has been launched to reopen a new train station just outside London.
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