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| Rail fare rises come into effect | Rail fare rises come into effect |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Rail fare rises have come into effect, with campaign groups and trade unions complaining that the increases continue to outstrip average wage growth. | |
| The rail industry says the average rise of 2.2% is the lowest for five years. Regulated fares - including season tickets - have risen by up to 2.5%. | |
| The TUC said UK commuters spent more than twice as much of their salary as some passengers in Europe. | The TUC said UK commuters spent more than twice as much of their salary as some passengers in Europe. |
| The government said fares were crucial to funding rail modernisation. | The government said fares were crucial to funding rail modernisation. |
| The Campaign for Better Transport said the cost of a Milton Keynes to London season ticket had risen by 23.5% - or £930 - since January 2010. The price of a 2015 ticket is £4,888. | The Campaign for Better Transport said the cost of a Milton Keynes to London season ticket had risen by 23.5% - or £930 - since January 2010. The price of a 2015 ticket is £4,888. |
| The group said this was one of a number of fares to increase by about four times more than average wages over the five-year period. | The group said this was one of a number of fares to increase by about four times more than average wages over the five-year period. |
| The annual rise in ticket prices follows news of an agreement by rail companies to direct travellers to the cheapest deal for their journey. | The annual rise in ticket prices follows news of an agreement by rail companies to direct travellers to the cheapest deal for their journey. |
| A summit last month with representatives from across the rail industry - including train operators - saw agreement in principle to a new code of practice, which has yet to be fully drafted. | A summit last month with representatives from across the rail industry - including train operators - saw agreement in principle to a new code of practice, which has yet to be fully drafted. |
| Earlier this week, Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne revealed he would not be taking his bonus after Christmas engineering works overran and caused major rail disruption. | Earlier this week, Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne revealed he would not be taking his bonus after Christmas engineering works overran and caused major rail disruption. |
| 'Rip-off' | 'Rip-off' |
| TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "This year's fare hike will hit passengers particularly hard because wages are rising so slowly. | |
| "Rail fares are now consuming a huge proportion of people's wages, leaving precious little for other bread and butter expenses." | "Rail fares are now consuming a huge proportion of people's wages, leaving precious little for other bread and butter expenses." |
| RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The scandal of Britain's great rail fares rip-off continues with today's hike far outstripping average pay increases, and it will once again hit those at the sharp end of the austerity clampdown the hardest." | RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The scandal of Britain's great rail fares rip-off continues with today's hike far outstripping average pay increases, and it will once again hit those at the sharp end of the austerity clampdown the hardest." |
| Analysis by BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott | Analysis by BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott |
| For 10 years or so, successive governments have taken a conscious decision to get more money out of rail passengers through higher fares. | For 10 years or so, successive governments have taken a conscious decision to get more money out of rail passengers through higher fares. |
| They get hammered every time they put prices up, even if it's just by inflation, so why do they do it? | They get hammered every time they put prices up, even if it's just by inflation, so why do they do it? |
| The reason is simple. If passengers pay more, the government, and therefore all the other taxpayers, pay less. | The reason is simple. If passengers pay more, the government, and therefore all the other taxpayers, pay less. |
| And the fact is that the vast majority of commuters, about 95%, don't take the train. Most people drive. | And the fact is that the vast majority of commuters, about 95%, don't take the train. Most people drive. |
| So the argument is that they're getting the people who actually use trains to pay a bigger chunk of the bill. | So the argument is that they're getting the people who actually use trains to pay a bigger chunk of the bill. |
| That's little comfort to commuters who need to find a lump sum of thousands of pounds every year, just to get to work - and who don't feel the quality of their service matches the price tag. | That's little comfort to commuters who need to find a lump sum of thousands of pounds every year, just to get to work - and who don't feel the quality of their service matches the price tag. |
| Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "We are investing in the biggest rail modernisation since the Victorian era and fares have a crucial role to play in funding these improvements. | |
| "This is because building better infrastructure helps create jobs, building a stronger economy for us all. | "This is because building better infrastructure helps create jobs, building a stronger economy for us all. |
| "We are protecting passengers even further by stopping operating companies from increasing individual fares by up to 2% more." | |
| Michael Roberts, director general of the Rail Delivery Group representing rail operators and Network Rail, said: "At 2.2%, the average increase in fares in 2015 is the lowest for five years. | Michael Roberts, director general of the Rail Delivery Group representing rail operators and Network Rail, said: "At 2.2%, the average increase in fares in 2015 is the lowest for five years. |
| "We understand no-one likes to pay more, especially to go to work. For every £1 spent on fares, 97p goes on track, train, staff and other costs while 3p goes in profits earned by train companies for running services on Europe's fastest-growing railway." | "We understand no-one likes to pay more, especially to go to work. For every £1 spent on fares, 97p goes on track, train, staff and other costs while 3p goes in profits earned by train companies for running services on Europe's fastest-growing railway." |
| 'Struggling' | 'Struggling' |
| Shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said Labour would enforce a "strict cap on fares". | Shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said Labour would enforce a "strict cap on fares". |
| He said: "David Cameron is presiding over a rip-off railway in Britain. He has failed to stand up for working people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and has allowed the train companies to hit passengers with massive fare rises of over 20% since 2010. | He said: "David Cameron is presiding over a rip-off railway in Britain. He has failed to stand up for working people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and has allowed the train companies to hit passengers with massive fare rises of over 20% since 2010. |
| "Some season tickets have now risen by over 30% under this government, forcing people to pay thousands of pounds more to commute to work on increasingly overcrowded trains." | "Some season tickets have now risen by over 30% under this government, forcing people to pay thousands of pounds more to commute to work on increasingly overcrowded trains." |
| Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "Although fares have still gone up, passengers will be relieved that the average rise in England was capped at inflation instead of inflation plus 1% as was previously planned. | Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "Although fares have still gone up, passengers will be relieved that the average rise in England was capped at inflation instead of inflation plus 1% as was previously planned. |
| "It is also good to see that there is no flexibility for individual fares to go up by more than this." | "It is also good to see that there is no flexibility for individual fares to go up by more than this." |
| He added that the rail industry needed to look at value for money, when just over four in 10 passengers said they were happy with the value of their ticket. | He added that the rail industry needed to look at value for money, when just over four in 10 passengers said they were happy with the value of their ticket. |
| "What is now needed is a more consistent day-to-day service and a flexible fares structure that delivers with the type of products that passengers want," he said. | "What is now needed is a more consistent day-to-day service and a flexible fares structure that delivers with the type of products that passengers want," he said. |
| In Northern Ireland rail fares are set separately and have not risen since 2013. | |
| Similarly in Scotland, there will be no rise in 2015 in off-peak fares, which have been frozen since January 2013. Peak fares will rise by 2.5%, the same as the July inflation rate, which means on average overall rail fares will rise by 1.5%. | |
| Are you affected by the new fare increases? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist. | Are you affected by the new fare increases? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist. |
| Have your say | Have your say |