Train fares will rise by 4.9 per cent from today (3 March 2024) - costing regular commuters hundreds of pounds more to travel.

This follows 2023's 6% hike.

In response, Mayor Dan Norris said: "This latest big rise in rail fares is the last thing working people in the West of England deserve during a frightening cost-of-living crisis.

"Since 2010, ministers have hiked fares by almost twice as much as wages.

"The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, which I lead, has made great strides in terms of getting more people onto trains through my multi-million-pound programme of rail improvements which is doing things like introducing more frequent journeys, and building seven new stations.

"This brutal fare hike risks undermining those efforts. While I will continue to do everything I can at a regional level to get people out of their cars and onto public transport, I need ministers to also play their part in providing the incentives for people to travel by train."

Even before the latest hike, the UK had the most expensive train tickets in Europe, Dan Norris continued.

He did add that passengers could still save "hundreds" of pounds by following steps like purchasing season tickets, getting a railcard, and booking their rail tickets in advance.

The Mayor's investment in railways includes the opening of brand-new stations - including Portway Park and Ride, which opened last summer, and Ashley Down, which opens later this year. Working with GWR local routes have also seen the number of trains increase.

Thanks to this, passenger numbers have increased in the West of England - including a 15.6% increase on trains between Bristol and Gloucester, and 14.4% jump between Bristol and Westbury, in 2023.