Rail fare increases capped but still above inflation

Great news for commuters this week; chancellor George Osborne is capping the rail fare increases... to 6%... OK, that's not great at all. It's still above the rate of inflation and for me personally it means I'm out of pocket by an extra £20 every month next year. So rail fare increases that I can't afford are pretty much the other end of the spectrum to great news.

What makes this even worse is the fact that this cap will just lead to higher rates in 2013 and 2014. It's not going to get better any time soon.

To add insult to injury, the year on year rail fare increases generally come with little or no improvement to the service. Most days I'm lucky if I get a seat and don't even get me started on delays... If I'm 10 minutes late to my destination, I consider this a good day and now winter is upon us, I know this is just going to get worse.

I've been debating doing my free ride and getting on two wheels for a while now. I think this pretty much seals the deal. Over-priced over-crowded underperforming trains or the freedom of the open road and spare cash in my pocket? It's a no brainer.I'll take the cheaper, more fun option!

How will the rail fare increases affect you?