Passengers on Merseyrail services will be asked to dig deeper into their pockets in 2023 as increased fare prices come into effect.
The rail operator had been proposing 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.” At the beginning of 2020 fares went up by 2.7% with a further increase of 3.8% brought in earlier this year.
From 2023, the rail operator had been planning to increase its fares by an average of 6%. A spokesperson for Merseyrail has now confirmed that this increase will now go ahead in the new year.
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The increased fares will come into effect from January 3, 2023. However not all ticket types offered by Merseyrail will be impacted.
For Merseyrail services, the proposed 6% rise will not impact the cost of family tickets, which allow a family of up to five to make unlimited daily journeys for just £13. However 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%. The years 2020 and 2021 saw a huge fall in passenger numbers due to the pandemic and lockdown measures, but passenger numbers have recovered 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 while the rate of inflation is currently over 12%, Merseyrail has opted to only increase 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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