A railway fit for the future?

Hello Supporter

Last week, the Government launched an eight-week consultation into its plans to reform the railways and bring them back under public control for the first time in almost 30 years. But what does all this mean for passengers and when can we expect to see things changing?

Unfortunately, we're unlikely to see anything change in the short term, but eventually most passenger services will be run by Great British Railways, rather then individual train companies as they are now; fares will be reformed to introduce 'easier, more flexible ticketing options', but not necessary cheaper ones; and a new independent Passenger Watchdog will represent passenger interests, monitor service standards, handle unresolved complaints, and provide guidance on accessibility and customer service.

Whilst the Government's consultation is aimed primarily at industry and business, you can also respond as an individual. We'll be submitting our official response in the coming weeks and we'll be advocating for measures to make rail travel more accessible, more affordable and more reliable to help encourage more people to use the trains, reducing congestion and carbon emissions.

To help explain what the reforms mean, and what the Government is attempting to do, we've created a 'rail reform explainer' on our website. 

Rail fares rise...again

On Sunday, we'll see regulated rail fares rise by 4.6 per cent. This is the annual increase which used to happen in January, but for the last few years has been postponed until March. We think fares are already too high and the blunt tool of an annual fare rise is something that we want to see addressed as part of the Government's fare reforms. 

This year, for the first time in ten years, railcards will also be seeing an increase. From Sunday, railcards will cost between £5 and £10 more, but, as we explain in our latest blog, you might be able to avoid the increase if you act quickly. Find out more in our blog.