Overview

• July’s Retail Prices Index was 4.8%, which would translate to a 5.8% increase if the recent RPI-plus-one formula is repeated.
• The Department for Transport says no decision has been made and plans to update fare policy later this year.
• Illustrative calculations show an annual Woking–London season ticket rising by £247 to £4,507 and a Liverpool–Manchester flexi ticket up £120.30 to £2,195.10.
• Official data show punctuality at 66.7% of scheduled stops within one minute in the year to July 19, the worst since 2020, fuelling calls from Railfuture and Campaign for Better Transport to hold down prices.
• About 45% of journeys use regulated fares, with unregulated tickets typically moving in line, as the network shifts further into public ownership under the forthcoming Great British Railways.