Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert team has warned passengers to book any planned rail journeys before this Sunday, when train fares are set to rise by nearly six per cent. The fare hike, which was announced last year, is the largest rise in more than a decade and is set to impact millions of people.
Back in December the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that regulated fares in England would increase by up to 5.9 per cent from Sunday, March 5. Fares affected include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.
Ahead of the fare hike Martin Lewis' MSE team has put together a guide on how to save money on rail fares, including planning ahead and booking tickets for any planned rail journeys before Sunday. In this week's MSE weekly email, the team also suggests renewing your season ticket ahead of the fare hike as well.
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The team writes: "Check your season ticket now. If you buy your annual season ticket before 5 March, you'll still pay the current rate. When we checked, most rail companies let you buy season tickets between two weeks to a month before they're due to start at the current price, depending on the type of season ticket.
"If your season ticket expires soon after the latest date you're able to renew for at the current price, it can be worth renewing earlier, even if it means paying for two tickets at the same time briefly.
"It can be worth buying other fares before 5 March too – even if you're not travelling for weeks. While the savings aren't as great, if you buy single or return tickets before Sunday you'll lock in the current cheaper price, even for journeys departing from 5 March onwards.
"You can normally buy these tickets up to 12 weeks in advance, so if you know when you'll need to travel over the next several weeks, get your tickets now so you'll pay less."
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