The Government has announced that for the second year running, regulated fare rises have been capped at the rate of inflation (RPI).

Regulated fares - which include season tickets - have increased by up to 2.5%, while the average fare rose by 2.2%.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “We are investing in the biggest rail modernisation since the Victorian era, and fares have a crucial role to play in funding these improvements. This is because building better infrastructure helps create jobs, building a stronger economy for us all.”

In addition to freezing regulated fares at 2.5% in 2015, the Government has also removed the train operators’ powers to increase individual fares by as much as 2% more.

Operators have also been asked to improve the information passengers receive when buying a ticket.

Industry figures show that for every pound spent on fares, 97 pence goes back into the rail network in the form of track maintenance, improvement works, staff and train costs, while only 3 pence goes into train company profits.

Investing in the UK’s railways is an important part of the Government’s long term economic plan.

Over the next five years, more than £38 billion will be spent on improving and maintaining the rail network across the country, giving passengers more seats, more services and better journeys.

This includes the £1 billion northern improvement programme which will provide faster journeys and more trains between key northern cities and the Crossrail and Thameslink projects, which will increase London’s commuter capacity by 20%.

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