Regulated rail fares in England and Wales are rising by up to 5.9% as campaigners call for reforms due to unreliable services.
The increase is above last year’s 4.8% hike but far below the rate of inflation.
The government said that it did not want to add to pressures on households.
However, some groups said that after months of poor services and strikes, passengers are not getting value for money.
About 45% of fares are regulated – they are directly influenced by the government. These include most season tickets, travelcards, and some off-peak returns.
Train operators said fares needed to be set at an appropriate level for the rail industry and its customers.
However, campaign group Transport Focus said “too many passengers are not getting a value-for-money service” and called for a fundamental reform of fares.
Another campaign group, Railfuture, said higher fares were likely to push more people to work from home and called for rail fares to be frozen, or even dropped, as fuel duty has been.