Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed that regulated National Rail fares in England will be frozen in 2026, instead of rising by at least the RPI for July 2025, which was 4.8 per cent. The Scottish Government has already made travel on ScotRail cheaper by abolishing peak fares, and this decision will mean that English rail fares will be cheaper in real terms when inflation is taken into account.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is welcoming widespread reports that next week’s budget will include funding for an extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead.