Trains fares have been steadily increasing over the course of the last decade and for Merseyrail passengers further rises are set to come into effect.
Beyond connections coming in and out of Lime Street, the majority of train journeys in Liverpool and wider Merseyside will be taken on the Merseyrail network. Commuters and regular passengers will now have to dig deeper into their pockets from 2023 as more expensive ticket prices are introduced.
The rail operator for the region has confirmed it will bring in a further year-on-year increase from January 2023, but said it would still aim to offer “some of the best value tickets on the UK rail network.”
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From January 3, 2023, Merseyrail will increase its fares by an average of 6%. This means that prices will have jumped by over 10% since fare rises were introduced at the start of 2020.
At the beginning of 2020 fares went up by 2.7% with a further increase of 3.8% brought in earlier this year. A spokesperson for Merseyrail confirmed the proposed rise of 6% earlier this month.
While the increased fares will come into effect from January 3, 2023, not all ticket types offered by Merseyrail will be impacted. The 6% rise will not impact the cost of family tickets, which allows a family of up to five to make unlimited daily journeys for just £13. Standard fares, such as singles and returns, will be subject to the proposed rises.
Since 2010 rail fares in the UK have climbed by an eye watering 48.9%. 2020 and 2021 saw a huge fall in passenger numbers due to the pandemic and lockdown measures, but passenger numbers have continued to recover through 2022. While more people have returned to using Merseyrail trains, the cost of living crisis is set to have a big impact on fares going forward.
Normally rail fares rise with Retail Price Inflation taken in July of the same year. But as the rate of inflation is currently over 12%, Merseyrail has opted to only increase their ticket prices by 6%.
Suzanne Grant, Merseyrail commercial director, said: “We know that many in our communities are struggling with the cost of living. Whilst increases in costs associated with running the railway mean that prices do need to rise, we have worked hard to ensure that these are limited.
"Normally rail fares would increase by the underlying rate of inflation, which is currently 12.3%. This impacts on the cost of things like the energy used to power our trains and the overall costs of running our stations.
"We have also looked at ways to freeze the price of tickets that we know will benefit those who are more vulnerable to the current economic situation.”
Further information on the specific price increases for tickets will be shared by Merseyrail before the end of the year and will be available on the operator’s website and from stations.
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