The chancellor should freeze rail fares next year, and make the announcement in the Autumn Budget at the end of this month, according to the Campaign for Better Transport.

The charity also wants the £2 single bus fare cap to continue, instead of ending next month.

The CBT pointed out that between 1997 and 2022, using RPI as a measure, the cost of using and owning a motor vehicle increased by 94 per cent, while rail fares have increased by 151 per cent and bus and coach fares by 227 per cent.

If next year’s increase in regulated rail fares is based on the RPI in July, they would go up by 3.6 per cent. They were increased by 4.9 per cent in March this year, although this was only just over half the measure of RPI in July 2023, which was 9 per cent.

Silviya Barrett from the CBT said: ‘Millions of people who rely on buses and trains are likely to see their fares go up next year, yet keeping public transport affordable helps boost the economy and reduces carbon emissions. Drivers have enjoyed a 14-year fuel duty freeze, so it’s about time public transport passengers were given the same treatment. At the moment, it can be cheaper to drive or fly than take public transport and that shouldn’t be the case.’

The Autumn Budget speech is due on 30 October.