In a landmark move to address the cost of living, the government has announced a complete freeze on regulated rail fares for 2026, marking the first such halt in three decades. The decision, unveiled by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, is a direct response to years of escalating ticket prices that have stretched household budgets and forced some passengers to seek alternative, sometimes cheaper, transport like aeroplanes.
Significant Savings for Millions of Passengers
The Treasury has confirmed that millions of passengers across England will not ‘pay a penny more’ on a wide range of tickets, including season tickets, peak returns for commuters, and off-peak returns between major cities. This intervention is projected to save travellers hundreds of pounds annually, with commuters on pricier routes saving more than £300 per year.
Before this announcement, train fares in England were anticipated to rise by 5.8% in 2026, a prospect that campaign groups had branded an ‘outrageous rip off’. This follows a staggering 605% increase in ticket prices from 2010 to 2025, according to official government data.
How Much Will Commuters Save?
The Treasury provided specific examples of the savings a typical commuter travelling three days a week with flexi-season tickets can expect:
- £57 per year for those travelling from Bradford to Leeds
- £315 per year for the Milton Keynes to London route
- £173 per year for journeys from Woking to London
Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated: ‘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.’
A Step Towards Affordable and Sustainable Travel
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander reinforced the government's commitment, saying: ‘We all want to see cheaper rail travel, so we’re freezing fares to help millions of passengers save money. Commuters on more expensive routes will save more than £300 per year, meaning they keep more of their hard-earned cash. This is part of our wider plans to rebuild Great British Railways the public can be proud of and rely on.’
The freeze will apply to all regulated fares, impacting over a billion passenger journeys across England. The move has been welcomed by campaigners. Ben Plowden, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, told Metro that the freeze is ‘very welcome’ and will not only help households but also enable more people to choose rail, thereby reducing road traffic and benefiting the environment and the economy.
This announcement comes after a year where fares rose by an average of 5.1%, with increases in London and the South East reaching 5.2%. The government's decision represents a significant shift in policy, aiming to make affordability a cornerstone of the future railway system under the Great British Railways reform.
