Rail users face steepest fare rise in five years as inflation hits 3.6%

Campaigners call for fares freeze saying passengers are ‘paying more for less’ as RPI jump raises prospect of hefty increaseRail fares for commuters in England and Wales will increase by 3.6% from next year, adding pressure to incomes already squeezed by higher prices. The rise, the biggest annual increase in five years, is set by the government and linked to July’s retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation announced by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday. The hig