Epsom rail commuters brace for fare increases

Commuters travelling from Epsom to London terminals are set to pay significantly more for their journeys next year if government policy on rail fares continues unchanged. The current cost of an annual season ticket from Epsom is £2,676, but under the projected 5.8% rise in regulated fares for 2026–27, that figure would climb by around £155 to reach approximately £2,831.

The increase is tied to the government’s formula of linking fares to July’s Retail Price Index plus one percent. This comes at a time when services from Epsom to Waterloo remain reduced, with only two trains an hour since the Covid pandemic, despite a growing local population.

Epsom & Ewell’s MP, Helen Maguire, has condemned the proposed rise. She said: “It is incomprehensible that once again ordinary people in Epsom & Ewell are facing yet another eye-watering rail fare hike, whilst South Western Railway are struggling to go a day without major disruption. Rail passengers should not be paying more for a service that is not delivering.”

Maguire has launched a petition calling for the restoration of train frequency to pre-Covid levels, arguing that local commuters should not face higher costs for fewer services.

Her party colleague, Paul Kohler MP, the Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson, added that rising fares were “nothing short of ludicrous” and described the policy as “a slap in the face to ordinary people” at a time when punctuality is at its lowest level in years.

Critics point out that fare hikes of this scale risk pushing more people off the railway at a time when the government is urging a shift to more sustainable modes of transport. Meanwhile, passengers are grappling with frequent cancellations, driver shortages, and the delayed rollout of South Western Railway’s Arterio fleet.

The Department for Transport has not yet confirmed the final figures or the exact implementation date, but increases are typically introduced in March. Unless ministers intervene, Epsom’s commuters face paying hundreds more pounds next year for a service many feel has been in steady decline.