Rises in Thamelink and Southern season tickets have been capped at the rate of inflation next month, with fares rising at an average of 0.8 per cent and some frozen completely.
GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway), which now runs both services, has frozen the price of singles and returns from London to Gatwick with Gatwick Express, and Luton Airport with Thameslink, and all fares under £10 on Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink that start or end outside the London Travelcard zone.
Season tickets will rise by 1 per cent – the rate of inflation in July, which is used by the government as the industry benchmark for fare changes.
Govia Thameslink Railway’s commercial cirector David Innis said: “We are determined to give our passengers better value for money and, by freezing thousands of fares and introducing a minimum rate of inflation rise on season tickets, we are doing just that.”
The rises are less than the national average rise in fares which the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, today announced is 1.1 per cent.
Paul Plummer, RDG chief executive, said: “We know that nobody likes to pay more to travel by train, especially to get to work, and at 1.1 per cent this is the smallest average increase in fares for six years.
“On average 97p in every pound from fares is spent on trains, staff and other running costs. With passenger numbers doubling in the last 20 years, money from fares now almost covers the railway’s day-to-day operating costs.
“This allows government to focus its funding on building a bigger, better network when the railway is becoming increasingly important at driving economic growth, underpinning jobs and connecting friends and families.
“As an industry we are working closer together to deliver better stations, more trains and improved services and to get more out of every pound we spend.”
