There has been much debate on the rising price of train fares. The government has said rail fares in England will not exceed 9% in 2024 and will be delayed until March. Ticket costs used to increase in January in line with inflation as measured by the retail prices index over the 12 months to the previous July. However, for the first time in over 25 years this year the government opted to raise fares from March in line with the UK average earning growth of 5.9%.