The Government recognises that affordability is a top concern for people buying rail tickets. I support the work being done to overhaul the fares system to make it easier for passengers to trust they are buying the right ticket and getting the best price, and we need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as the system is reformed.

I welcome the Government’s commitment to reforming the overcomplicated fares and ticketing system to deliver simpler, easier ways to travel. As part of this work, it is expanding ticketing innovations such as Pay As You Go in urban areas across the country. Pay As You Go ticketing has already been rolled out in London and the Southeast, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, and is being trialled in the East Midlands and Yorkshire. Work is also underway to examine how the situation on long distance services can be improved. That means getting on with the best price guarantee and more trials of pay as you go.

While it is the Government’s ambition – through public ownership – to deliver a more affordable railway, any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy must be balanced against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway. I welcome the fact that this year’s 4.6% increase was the lowest absolute increase in three years and supports the Government’s long-term plan to achieve financial sustainability.

More widely, I welcome the Government’s commitment to putting passengers at the heart of the railway. By 2029, all passenger service operations will have completed the transition to being managed by Great British Railways. I am confident that by bringing together the management of track and train, we can strip out duplication, provide better value for the taxpayer and ensure that trains are turning up on time, with reliable and punctual services.

Thank you to constituents for contacting me about this issue.

Best wishes

Rt Hon Hilary Benn
MP for Leeds South
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland