Railcards and cheaper fares
Rail fares in 2027: after the freeze
Type the price of your season or regulated ticket: the tool shows what the 2026 freeze saved you and the price after any rise you want to test for 2027.
What the 2026 fare freeze saved on your ticket
Freeze saved you
£301.60
| Rise avoided in March 2026 | 5.8% |
| Price after the rise you test | £5,200 |
| 2027 decision | not published yet |
The freeze covers regulated fares in England; Scotland and Wales set their own fares.
Regulated rail fares in England were frozen from 2 March 2026, the first freeze in thirty years according to the Department for Transport. Regulated fares are those whose rises the government controls: regulated fares in England: season tickets, peak returns for commuters and off-peak returns between major cities. Without the freeze, announced on 23 November 2025, they would have risen by 5.8%; the government expects passengers to save £600 million in 2026 to 2027, with examples of £315 a year from Milton Keynes to London, £173 a year from Woking to London, £57 a year from Bradford to Leeds for a commuter on flexi seasons three days a week. For March 2027, no decision had been published on GOV.UK when this page was last checked, on 26 October 2026: the rise, or another freeze, is still to come, and this page will give it once it is announced. Unregulated fares, such as most Advance tickets, are set by operators. Scotland and Wales set their own fares policy. The tool above tests any rise on your own ticket.
One journey on your season, by operator
Value used per journey
£11.21
| Divisor at South Western Railway | 464 |
| 30 to 59 min late pays | £5.60 |
| 60 to 119 min late pays | £11.21 |
Schemes and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
What the freeze saved
| Season or fare price | Rise avoided (5.8%) | Price kept |
|---|---|---|
| £800 | £46.40 | £800 |
| £1,800 | £104.40 | £1,800 |
| £3,200 | £185.60 | £3,200 |
| £5,200 | £301.60 | £5,200 |
| £7,600 | £440.80 | £7,600 |
The Department's own examples are flexi seasons used three days a week: Milton Keynes to London, £315 a year; Woking to London, £173 a year; Bradford to Leeds, £57 a year.
How regulated fares are usually set
The government decides each year how far regulated fares in England may change, and the new fares apply from March. Separately, official statistics measure every year the change in the prices train companies charge passengers. The release covering the 2027 change is due between July and August 2027. A decision on the March 2027 change, a rise or another freeze, belongs to the government, and this page reports it only once published.
What the 2026 fare freeze saved on your ticket
Freeze saved you
£301.60
| Rise avoided in March 2026 | 5.8% |
| Price after the rise you test | £5,200 |
| 2027 decision | not published yet |
The freeze covers regulated fares in England; Scotland and Wales set their own fares.
Public ownership and fares
The fares policy now sits alongside the move of operators into public ownership ahead of Great British Railways. South Western Railway on 25 May 2025, c2c on 20 July 2025, Greater Anglia on 12 October 2025, West Midlands Trains on 1 February 2026, Govia Thameslink Railway on 31 May 2026, Chiltern Railways on 20 September 2026 have transferred. Great Western Railway is due on 13 December 2026 and Avanti West Coast is due on 7 March 2027. Ownership does not by itself change your fare or your Delay Repay: each operator's scheme stays as published until it changes its charter.
Planning a season ticket renewal
- A season bought before a rise keeps its price for its whole length: an annual bought in February covers the following year at the old price.
- If a rise is announced, compare renewing early with the refund rules of Part G of the Conditions of Travel, which deduct the travel used and a fee of up to £10.
- A Flexi season may cost less than a full season for hybrid workers: count your days.
The season refund page works out what an early renewal would cost if you hand back the old season.
Scotland and Wales
The freeze announced by the Department for Transport covers regulated fares in England. Fares on services in Scotland and Wales follow the policies of the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government, through ScotRail and Transport for Wales, and cross-border journeys can mix both. If you travel mainly in Scotland or Wales, check the announcements of those governments for 2027 rather than the English decision.
Keeping an eye on the decision
The figure for March 2027 will appear on GOV.UK when the government publishes it. This page is updated by hand when that happens, with the date of the decision and the regulated rise or freeze it sets.
Until then, test a rise of your choice on your own ticket with the tool above.