Commuters rush to buy season tickets and beat price rise

Commuters rushed to buy season tickets last month to beat a 5.9pc jump in the cost of rail fares at the start of March.

Barclays data on the nation’s credit and debit card transactions showed a 22.6pc spike in spending on public transport in February.

The increase came before prices rose by as much as 5.9pc on 5 March, piling thousands of pounds on annual travel costs for many commuters.

While the rise in rail fares is below inflation, campaigners said strikes and poor services meant travellers were not getting value for money.

Meanwhile, households found new ways to reduce their weekly shop as spending in supermarkets slowed despite food inflation.