How much train fares on major London routes will be going up as prices are increased

National Rail fares have increased today (Sunday, March 3). Prices have gone up by 4.9 per cent, meaning the cost of travelling to and from the capital, as well as around London, is now dearer.

The fares rise could add £190 to an annual season ticket from Woking to London, for example, taking the cost from £3,880 to £4,070. Last July’s Retail Prices Index measure of inflation, which is usually used to determine annual fare rises, was 9 per cent.

The Consumer Prices Index, which is a more commonly used inflation figure, was 6.8 per cent in July 2023. But this fell to 4 per cent in January. The UK and Welsh governments therefore set the cap for rises in regulated fares at just under 5 per cent.

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However, pay as you go fares on the bus, Tube, DLR and Tram are set to be frozen, as are the majority of pay as you go fares on London Overground and the Elizabeth line, after the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, set aside £123 million in his Greater London Authority (GLA) budget. In addition, pay as you go with contactless and Oyster fares on Tube and rail across London and parts of the Southeast will be off-peak all day on Fridays from March 8 until May 31 in a landmark trial.

TfL confirmed on Friday (March 1) that this would go ahead after discussions with private rail operators.

What you could be paying for National Rail travel

MyLondon looked at the current prices for annual season tickets to and from key commuter towns to see how much they would cost from today. Below are the prices if a passenger were commuting three days a week to London travelcard Zones 1 to 6 and not using a railcard, according to National Rail's calculator.

• Reading - from £6,336 to £6,646.46

• Luton - from £6,288 to £6,596

• Guildford - from £5,352 to £5,614.25

• Watford Junction - from £4,268 to £4,477.13 (also valid for travel in Zones 7-9)

• Slough - from £4,132 to £4,334.47

• Basingstoke - from £6,336 to £6,646.46

• Chelmsford - from £5,992 to £6,285.61

• Tunbridge Wells - from £6,388 to £6,701.01

• Crawley - from £5,388 £5,652.01

• Brighton - from £6,616 to £6,940.18

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