Rising cost of peak-time train travel

I Tis the most magical time of the year. Time to take down the Christmas tree, throw away the leftover Quality Street and rummage down the back of the sofa for spare change to fund our increased train fares to work.

The annual increase was announced in August, with peak fares rising 2.8 per cent and off-peak tickets going up by

1.8%.

The price rise comes into effect today, adding more than £100 to some commuters’ travel bills.

What determines the increase? Contrary to some disgruntled commuters’ belief, the decision to raise prices does not always lie with Scotrail. About 45% of fares are regulated by the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments, with the rest decided by train companies.

Regulated fares include season tickets on most commuter routes, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys, and tickets for travel around major cities at any time.

The increase is determined by the July 2019 Retail Price Index (RPI), which stands at 2.8%. It is used to set the rate of increases on Scotrail services, with regulated Scotrail peak fares capped at the level of the RPI.

Regulated off-peak fares are capped at 1% below RPI and will therefore rise by 1.8%.

“Eighty-five per cent of our revenue comes from fares set by the Scottish Government, which decides how much our customers pay,” Scotrail commercial director Lesley Kane said in August.

Which tickets are affected? Scotrail’s Anytime singles and returns, and Season Tickets, will rise by 2.8%. Off-peak singles and returns, which are generally available after 9.15am but not on some routes at evening peak times, will increase by 1.8%.

Fares determined by Scotrail include Super Off-peak and Advance tickets, and the cost of First Class travel. It is unclear how much these will increase by. How much is that in real terms?

The 2.8% rise in season ticket prices will sting Edinburgh to Glasgow commuters by more than £100 a year with an annual season ticket between Edinburgh to Glasgow to increase by £114 to £4,198.

Peak travel to the capital applies before 9.15am and between 4:42pm and 6:15pm, which is hard to avoid for commuters.

How does the price hike compare to previous years? Fares rose by 3.2% for peak fares and 2.2% for off-peak at the beginning of 2019.

Office of Rail and Road figures show that between January 1995 around the time the network was privatised - and January 2019, average fares increased in real terms by 21%. A Scottish Government spokeswoman said moves to cut or freeze fares would hit the public purse.

“We have capped increases where we have influence, making fares 20% cheaper on average than in the rest of Great Britain,” she said when the fares were announced in August.

“Two-thirds of the cost of running the railway is already met through Scottish Government subsidy, with the remainder through rail passenger revenues,”

“Any change to rail fares could therefore have a significant impact on the taxpayer.”