Commuters in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, will face higher parking costs as charges at the local railway station are set to increase by 10 per cent. From 1 February 2026, South Western Railway will raise prices for all parking options, including daily, hourly, and season tickets.
The changes mean a standard peak day of parking will go up from £6.00 to £6.60. Those using the car park during off-peak times will see the price move from £3.00 to £3.30, while hourly rates will increase from £1.00 to £1.10.
Annual season tickets are also affected: the annual ticket is listed by South Western Railway as rising from £847.00 to £920.00, effective 1 February 2026. These adjustments come after the operator was brought back into public ownership in May 2025, a move the government said would help improve services; SWR says the changes are intended to help cover rising costs and fund station maintenance and improvements.
Local residents have expressed concerns that the price hike might lead to more people parking on nearby residential streets to avoid the fees. This comes at a time when Elmbridge Borough Council has committed to maintaining and expanding 30-minute free parking in Walton town centre as part of its 2025/26 budget to support local shops.
Monica Harding, the Member of Parliament for Esher and Walton, has previously called for a freeze on rail fares. Parkopedia lists the updated car-park charges for Walton-on-Thames, and the station handles roughly 2.26 million entries and exits a year (2023/24), meaning the changes will affect millions of annual users.
