Plans for changes to the rail ticketing system have been announced by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).
In June 2018 rail companies and Transport Focus, the independent passenger watchdog launched a joint public consultation in an effort to better understand what passengers wanted to see from an up to date, easier fares and ticketing system.
The Rail Delivery Group; a joint body that brings together Britain's train operating companies, Network Rail, as well as High Speed 2, has today announced proposals for a ‘once-in-a-generation' reform of the railway's beloved fares and ticketing system. Under the RDG's proposals, some fares would increase, and others would decrease in a bid to become ‘revenue neutral', thus ending the need for split ticketing.
Overall, almost 20,000 people from across Britain took part in the largest ever public consultation into what people want from rail fares – including input from 60 ‘umbrella organisations', who represent over 300,000 organisations, authorities, accessibility groups and businesses.
The consultation that was delivered in partnership with Transport Focus, found that 8 out of 10 people wanted the current ticketing system to change, asking for a fairer and easier to use experience.
What's been proposed
Alongside other improvements, reforming fares could mean that:
- Commuters could benefit from an Oyster Card styled system. With pay-as-you-go and tap-in tap-out systems, meaning more support for changes in working patterns, allowing those that travel less than five days a week or don't travel during the peak times are able to save money; also allowing for better integration with other modes of transport.
- Leisure travellers could be spread out more evenly across the day, in a bid to reduce overcrowding by up to a third on some of the busiest services.
- Regulations around the peak and off-peak travel could be reduced, allowing ticket prices to be more flexible.
- Customers no longer have to commit to when they want to return when buying their outward journey, making changes in travel plans easier.
The RDG say that making fares easier could encourage over 300 million journeys to be taken by rail, taking people off of the roads; ‘increasing governments options to re-invest into lover fares or network improvements'.
Local authority funding
For fares subsidised by local authorities and public transport executives, technology would be used to allow these arrangements to continue, including a weekly capping system.
Fares trialling
Rail companies want to work with the government to run various trails this year, including:
- Single leg pricing – sale of tickets on a single leg basis so that people can mix and match the best value fares for the outward and return journeys.
- Pay as you go – on suburban commuter operators coming into London, expanding flexible commuter fares beyond the capital
- Leg-based pricing – where the price of a rail fare is calculated based on the additive price of the number of legs in the journey
What did the officials say?
Chief Executive of the Rail Delivery Group, Paul Plummer, said:
“The result of our nationwide consultation is clear – customers have different needs and want an easy to use range of rail fares to meet them. Our proposals can deliver exactly that – creating a system that better fits how people live and work today.
“Rail companies are already working together on plans for real world trials so people can see what our proposals could mean for them. However, current regulation needs to be updated and we want to work with government, who are key to making improvements a reality, to deliver the better fares system the public wants to see.”
Anthony Smith, Chief Executive of Transport Focus, the independent passenger watchdog, said:
“Passengers want to see root and branch reform to the outdated and outmoded fares and ticketing system. Trials will provide reassurance and allow passengers to understand the impact of the changes.
“The rail industry is already working together to make improvements where it can to improve the ticket buying process, within the current regulatory structure. This includes removing unhelpful jargon from over half a million tickets, making ticket machines simpler and easier to use, and make advance purchasing available up to 10 minutes before travel on many routes.”
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