RISING rail fares are “killing families and hard workers”, commuters have claimed after it was announced prices will increase by nearly five per cent in March.

The Department for Transport has set a cap of 4.9 per cent for increases to most fares regulated by the Government.

This includes season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long distance routes and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.

Fares will officially rise on March 3, 2024.

Daniel Williams, 46, a regular commuter using c2c from Laindon, said: “When I first moved to Langdon Hills, one of the reasons was for the impressive station access, trains, and cost of commute.

“Over the last four years, the service and station has deteriorated, whilst fares have continued to rise exponentially.

“The smart card system regularly has faults and now the super off peak price for weekends has been taken away, my overall cost to work went up £500 annually, before this rise that is about to happen.

“It is killing families and hard workers.”

The previous cap on increases in regulated fares was 5.9 per cent.

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators including c2c and Greater Anglia, said: “The railway is still facing a significant financial challenge with revenue still down on pre-pandemic levels.

“In setting the fares level, the government needs to balance the needs of taxpayers against those of customers.

“The announcement gives customers notice of fare increases so they can purchase travel at current prices if they buy their tickets on or before March 2.

“Our focus remains on delivering a more reliable and sustainable service that meets our customers’ needs and enhances their overall experience contributing to a more seamless journey on the rail network.”

Since the railways were privatised in the mid-1990s, regulated fare rises in England were not more than one percentage point above or below RPI until last year.

Mark Harper, transport secretary, said: “Having met our target of halving inflation across the economy, this is a significant intervention by the Government to cap the increase in rail fares below last year’s rise.

“Changed working patterns after the pandemic mean that our railways are still losing money and require significant subsidies, so this rise strikes a balance to keep our railways running, while not overburdening passengers.”