Rail passengers are set to face the steepest increase in rail ticket prices in almost ten years from Tuesday (March 1).

According to industry body the Rail Delivery Group, people in England and Wales are set to take on the largest hike in rail ticket prices since January 2013 with fares predicted to go up by 3.8%.

Labour has called the price hike "brutal" and campaign group Railfuture has accused Boris Johnson's Government of “stoking the fire of the cost of living crisis” by enabling the increase.

The UK, Scottish and Welsh governments set the cap on rises in regulated fares, which are around half of tickets such as season tickets and off-peak returns on long distance journeys.

The Northern Echo: Train tickets are going up by around 3.8% (PA)Train tickets are going up by around 3.8% (PA)

Train operators traditionally controlled increases in other fares, but governments have much more influence on their decisions after spending billions of pounds to take on their financial liabilities during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman said it has “protected passengers” by delaying the fares rise until two months later than normal, and setting a cap which is “well below current inflation rates”.

They each decided to match this year’s figure with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation for July 2021, which was 3.8%.

In January figures showed that the RPI was at a rate of 7.8%.

Paul Tuohy, chief executive of pressure group Campaign for Better Transport, said: “This fare rise couldn’t come at a worse time and will simply add to the cost of living crisis.

“We need to get people back into workplaces, eating in town centre cafes and shopping on their lunchbreaks to help kick start the economy.

“If the Government is serious about shrinking transport’s carbon footprint and growing the economy, it should make rail the affordable choice with better value flexible season tickets and an immediate reform of the fares and ticketing system.”