Commuters in England face 6.2% rise in average train fares after a shock increase in the Retail Prices Index measure of inflation. Cars, air fares, clothing and housing are being blamed for the surprise rise in the Consumer Prices Index of inflation.
The CEO of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) has told ITV News that the rules which allow train companies to raise some fares by as much as 11.2% are the result of Government policy.
Under a process called "flexing" train companies can control price rises on different tickets as long as the average rise is below a cap.
Michael Roberts said the Government had a policy to maximise the revenue it receives from train companies and reduce the burden on the taxpayer.
The rise in inflation means more misery for commuters as train companies can increase fares up by 6.2%. Will the Chancellor step in?
Today's inflation figures will give an indication of the level of rail fare increase we can expect in January. So what is driving that rise?
Commuters are braced for more misery as inflation figures were higher than expected meaning that train companies can charge more.