Some rail passengers in England will encounter a rail fare hike of nearly 6% for their season tickets in 2013. On average, rail tariffs in England, Scotland and Wales are to climb up by 4.2%. The biggest rail fare increase in 2013 will be of 5.9% i.e. a climb from £4,588 to £4,860 for a yearly ticket from Canterbury to London.

As per the watchdog organisation, Passenger Focus, the firms had exhibited immense restraint but the commuters would still experience the pinch of the rail fare hike.

In October, PM David Cameron had interceded in the matter to curb average rises to 1% above inflation.

Rail Minister Norman Baker has asserted that the Coalition had adopted pro-active measures on the rail fare issue because family budgets were being squeezed. As per the Rail Minister, the rail fare increase places an average of £45 per year back into the pockets of over a quarter of a million ‘yearly season’ ticket holders.

Passenger Focus has emphasised that rail fares have been jacked up for the Bournemouth to London route, up £240 to £5,988. A yearly rail ticket from Gloucester to Birmingham will cost an additional £140.

The Ludlow-Hereford annual rail ticket will cost £1992, which is higher by 5.3%. As per Passenger Focus, the new Tonbridge-London yearly rail ticket will cost £3796, which is up 5.2%.

Passenger Focus chief executive, Anthony Smith, has voiced that, after years of above-inflation rail fare increases, new rail fare hikes are piling pressure on already high fares.

Anthony Smith has urged the Coalition and the rail industry to operate jointly to fulfill the welcome promise of bringing the rail fare increases in line with inflation.

Meanwhile, the Association of Train Operating Companies has expressed that it is the government, and not the train companies, which determines how much season tickets should increase on average every year.

2013 would be the 10th successive year that regulated rail fares had increased by more than inflation in England. Regulated rail fares include season tickets and off-peak intercity voyages.

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