Overview
- Regulated fares for season tickets, peak commuter returns and intercity off-peak returns are frozen across England in the first pause in about 30 years.
- Officials estimate passenger savings of about £600m in 2026/27, with example annual savings of £315 between Milton Keynes and London, £173 from Woking to London and £57 between Bradford and Leeds.
- The measure applies only to services run by English operators, and unregulated tickets such as advance fares and first class can still be adjusted.
- The Department for Transport will tighten refund rules from 1 April, allowing refunds only for unused tickets claimed before travel.
- Unions and passenger groups welcomed the freeze, while industry bodies cautioned that long-term funding for services and infrastructure remains uncertain.