Helen Maguire MP calls for rail fare freeze with passengers travelling from Leatherhead to London Waterloo set to pay £189 more each year

Helen Maguire, Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom & Ewell, has called for a rail fare freeze as ticket prices look set to increase again next year.

This means commuters between Leatherhead and London Waterloo face an eye-watering increase of £189 per year, making the overall cost £3,444.85.

New figures released today (20 August) indicate that regulated rail fares are set to rise 5.8% in 2026-27 should the government choose to follow existing policy and increase fares in line with July’s Retail Price Index (RPI).

Helen Maguire and the Liberal Democrats are calling for rail fares to be frozen, and she insists that “passengers should not be forced to pay more for a service that is not delivering”. 

Since the Covid pandemic, the number of South Western Railway (SWR) services running through Epsom & Ewell has halved to two trains per hour despite population increases in both Epsom and Leatherhead. Helen Maguire has launched a petition to return train frequency back to pre-Covid levels and raised concerns about the reduced service with SWR during a recent meeting.

Commenting on the rail fare rise, Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom & Ewell, Helen Maguire 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.

“My constituents have already seen our Waterloo service halved since the pandemic, and despite SWR being nationalised three months ago, we are still waiting to see the benefits. Journeys face disruption on a daily basis, there is a shortage of drivers and the rollout of the Arterio fleet is taking far too long. In the midst of a cost of living crisis, increasing rail fares now is an insult to my constituents.

“I, and my Liberal Democrat colleagues, believe passengers deserve affordable and reliable trains, not a continuation of the chaos and complacency that we saw under 14 years of the Conservatives. We are calling on the Government to freeze rail fares, and provide a fair deal for commuters in Epsom & Ewell.”