- Communities in Portsmouth to save money as Labour calls a halt to decades of soaring rail fares as part of a plan to put passengers at the heart of the railway through Great British Railways.
- This Labour Government has frozen rail fares for the first time in 30 years, putting money back in passengers’ pockets and easing the cost of living for hard-working people.
- After years of relentless price hikes and rail mismanagement, Labour is building a railway that people can be proud of and rely on.
Communities in Portsmouth are set to benefit from the Labour Government’s freeze on rail fares – the first in thirty years – easing pressures on household budgets and delivering £600m in savings.
For decades, commuters have faced relentless fare hikes, with prices rising by 60% between 2010 and 2024. Had this Government not acted to halt the far hike, regulated rail fares would have risen by 5.8%.
From this week, regulated rail fares across England have been frozen, meaning passengers won’t pay a penny more on season tickets, peak returns for commuters and off peak returns between major cities.
The freeze will save regular commuters hundreds of pounds a year. Typical savings include:
- £315 per year, travelling from Milton Keynes to London
- £173 per year, travelling from Woking to London
- £57 per year, travelling from Bradford to Leeds
Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“I’m proud to welcome the Government’s decision to freeze rail fares – a long-overdue step that will make a real difference to people in Portsmouth.
“Whether it’s getting to work, travelling to study, or visiting family, affordable travel matters. This announcement shows that the Government is listening and delivering real action to address the cost-of-living.”
Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, said:
“Freezing rail fares for the first time in 30 years will help millions of passengers keep more of their hard-earned cash, with commuters on some routes saving more than £300 a year.
“This Labour government is reforming a broken system and building an affordable railway that the public can be proud of and rely on”.
These changes are part of the Government’s plans to rebuild a publicly owned railway that the country can rely on and be proud of.
The Railways Bill will create Great British Railways (GBR), a new publicly owned company, that will run and manage the tracks and trains used every day – ending years of fragmentation, driving up standards for passengers, and making journey easier and better value for money.
GBR will be accountable to passengers and taxpayers, bringing fares and ticketing into the 21st century, including through a new GBR website and app – which will be a one-stop shop for passengers to check train times and buy tickets at the best prices across the rail network without any booking fees – and building on the expansion of successful Pay As You Go and fares trials across the country.
