The Big Rail Fare Freeze

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Rail fares have been frozen across England until March 2027 for Standard class tickets, including Seasons, Off-Peak and Anytime.

This is the first freeze on regulated rail fares in 30 years, helping customers keep more money in their pockets.

Terms and conditions:

The Fares Freeze applies until March 2027 on regulated fares. A similar scheme applies in Scotland on ScotRail. Excludes fares set by Transport for Wales, Caledonian Sleeper, Transport for London (TfL), Hull Trains, Lumo, Grand Central and Heathrow Express. First class and Standard Premium tickets are excluded. Changes to fares resulting from the fares reform (e.g. due to introduction of Pay As You Go (PAYG)) may result in ticket types, products and/or time restrictions being altered. For more information visit nationalrail.co.uk/faresfreeze.

What is the fares freeze?

The Fares freeze means that regulated train tickets (the ones where pricing is set by government and not train companies) have been frozen across England until March 2027. These include Season tickets, Anytime and Off-Peak tickets.

It doesn't automatically cover journeys that are entirely in Scotland or Wales.

The government announcement is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-rail-freeze-in-30-years-to-ease-the-cost-of-living

How is the fares freeze benefitting customers?

The fares freeze could save customers across the country around £600m in total, so, if you're a regular commuter, that could mean more money in your pocket to spend on the things you love.

If you're not a commuter, you can still benefit when travelling on an Anytime or Off-Peak ticket.

If you travel more than two to three times a week then you may find you'd save more with a Season ticket. Check out our Season Ticket Calculator to help you find the best value ticket for your journey.

Which train companies are not included?

The following train operating companies are not included in the Fares Freeze. Transport for Wales, Caledonian Sleeper, TfL services, who are all the responsibility of devolved nations or regional authorities. Hull Trains, Lumo, Grand Central, and Heathrow Express are independent operations without a government contract. They choose their own routes and set their own fares.

A similar scheme applies in Scotland for ScotRail, you can find our more information here: https://www.gov.scot/news/scotrail-fares-frozen-for-12-months/

Merseyrail also have a similar scheme, with exclusions, you can find out more information here: https://www.merseyrail.org/news/general-interest/new-easier-to-use-era-starts-on-merseyrail-as-tap-go-extended-to-bank-cards-watches-and-smartphones/

Can I still use Railcards on frozen fares?

Does this change how far in advance I can buy my ticket?

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