these are regulated railfares these are regulated rail fares which represent about 45% of all tickets sold, so season tickets in particular but also any time day travel in that kind of thing. in principle, fare rises for these tickets are normally pegged to the level of retail price index inflation, rbi. the measure used for this year would have been the level at which rpi stood back injuly, which was more than 12%, it was 12.3%. if tickets had gone up by that amount, i think it is fair to say that passengers would have been furious. we are seeing a period of strikes on the lines, some mines in northern england have had all sorts of problems for months now. maximal lines. it would have been very unpopular. so the government has instead capped the amount by which railfares can go up, to 5.9%. they can move a bit on the other side on either side but the average has to be 5.9%. this
will be affected. our business correspondent theo leggett has the latest. although inflation is very high, the cost of living is a problem for people. the government has stepped in and it has pegged the increase of ticket prices not to the retail prices index, which is the measure of inflation normally used, but to average growth in wages, on the principle that people can keep up with that. to give you an indication of the magnitude of what would have happened, the retail price index injuly, which is when the measure would normally be taken, was 12.3%. that would have seen the increase in ticket prices capped on average at 12.3%. that was considered to be too much for people and would probably have caused a fair amount of public anger, given the amount of disruption we have had on the railways with strikes and so on of late. so, instead, we have this figure of 5.9% but remember, that is just in england. wales may follow suit.
our business correspondent reports. the cost obviouslying a problem for people. it the government has stepped in and pegged the increase in ticket prices not to the retail prices index which is the measure of inflation normally used but average growth in wages on the principle that people can keep up with that, nowjust that people can keep up with that, now just to give that people can keep up with that, nowjust to give you an indication of the magnitude of what would have happen, the retail price index, in july, which is when the measure would normally be taken, was 12.3%, so that would have seen the increase in ticket prices capped on average at 12.3%. that was considered to be too much for people and would probably to be fair have caused a fair amount probably to be fair have caused a fairamount of probably to be fair have caused a fair amount of public anger given the amount of disruption with strikes and so, so instead we have
theo, less than half the rate of inflation in terms of these rises? yes, and there is a reason for that. although inflation is very high, the cost of living is a problem for people. the government has stepped in and it has pegged to the increase of ticket prices not to the retail prices index, which is the measure of inflation normally used, but to average growth in wages, on the principle that people can keep up with that. to give you an indication of the magnitude of what would have happened, the retail price index in july, which is when the measure would normally be taken, was 12.3%. that would have seen the increase in ticket prices kept on average at 12.3%. that was considered to be too much for people and would probably have caused a fair amount of public angen have caused a fair amount of public anger, given the amount of disruption we have had on the railways with strikes and so on of