Train fares are rising by 4.9% TODAY – so you can still save £100 on tickets

TODAY, millions of train passengers will have to pay more for their train tickets – here are our top tips to save €100.

Train fares will rise by 4.9 percent from today, costing regular commuters hundreds of euros more to travel.

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There are several ways travelers can cut costs to soften the blow.

Regular commuters can save a lot by purchasing a season ticket instead of buying a ride every day.

A seven-day season ticket is probably cheaper if you make the same trip three or more days a week.

However, this can be difficult to work out and it’s worth checking the season ticket calculator on the National Rail website to see if it’s worth it.

For those who travel at least five days a week, purchasing an annual season ticket can save hundreds of euros.

For example, a daily return journey between Rugby and Birmingham will cost the average commuter £17.50.

Annual season ticket holders would spend just £5.47 for the same trip, while the fare for a full year came to £1,420.

Anyone wanting to get their hands on an annual subscription should purchase it before the end of today to lock in the lower price for the next twelve months when prices will be higher.

Rail passengers can also purchase a flexible season ticket that allows them to travel for eight travel days within a 28-day period.

Regular commuters can save up to 60 percent on each ticket when they use a rail card.

Those with a train card for 16-25 years, seniors (for those over 60) and ‘two together’ (you and a friend or family member) receive a third discount on the train fare.

Adults with the family and friends card also receive tickets with a one-third discount and a whopping 60 percent discount on child fares.

These cards cost £30 per year, but Tesco Clubcard holders can get them for £15 by exchanging their points for vouchers.

Depending on the trip, the savings can outweigh the costs after just a few trips.

Travelers should book directly through the train company to reduce train costs even further.

Sites like Trainline and Raileasy are popular among commuters, but charge up to £1.75 per journey.

You can’t buy tickets on National Rail’s website, but it will show you the cheapest options for your route and take you straight to the operator’s site.

Commuters on long train journeys can save hundreds of euros by splitting their tickets.

A one-way ticket from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly costs £47.

But if you buy two tickets from Euston to Crewe and then from Crewe to Manchester the ticket will cost just £30.60, making a mega saving of £16.40 for one journey.

Passengers do not need to change trains and National Rail allows you to split your ticket as long as the train you are on calls at the station you are purchasing the tickets for.

Some rail sites, such as Trainpal, will split your ticket for free and don’t charge a booking fee.

Finally, commuters can save costs by booking their train tickets in advance.

Operators typically make their train fares available twelve weeks in advance, when Network Rail announces its timetables.

Just like with airline tickets, the sooner you book, the cheaper it will be.

Travelers can set up alerts via the Trainline app to be notified when cheap advanced tickets go on sale.

But remember to book your tickets directly with the operator to save the most money.

Commuters can also use National Rail’s Future Travel Map, which shows the final date on which you can buy tickets.

TRACK WALK

Train fares typically rise annually, but the government has limited them due to soaring inflation.

It means this year’s increase remains significantly lower than July’s consumer price index (RPI) of 9 percent, which is used to increase rates.

Last year saw the biggest price increase in a decade, when they rose by 5.9 percent, but this was well below the July 2022 inflation rate of 12.3 percent.

The 4.9 percent increase this year will mean millions of commuters will pay significantly more for their train journeys.

The current cost of a weekly trip from Oxford to London is £6,096, which will rise to £6,394 from March – £298 more.

Meanwhile, a season ticket from Tunbridge Wells to London will increase by £372, costing commuters £5,827.

It comes after five rail companies voted to continue straight strike action over wages, leaving commuters facing another six months of chaos.

And a married railway union boss at the center of the railway strikes has been caught having an affair with an engineer 19 years his junior.