Rail fares for Brighton and Hove commuters will be frozen in real terms, the Chancellor George Osborne said today (Sunday 7 September).
Mr Osborne said that the government as freezing fares in real terms for the second year running.
In previous years – under the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition as well as the previous Labour government – train fares rose more quickly than the rate of inflation.
But this year fares will be capped at the same rate as the Retail Prices Index (RPI) in July – 2.5 per cent.
Without the government’s change of heart, fares would have risen by up to 3.5 per cent – RPI plus 1 per cent.
Labour said that the decision had been made because there would be a general election next year.
The party said that regulated fares such as season tickets had risen 20 per cent since the last election in 2010.
