Time to stop the rail fare rise

Hello

Today we learned regulated rail fares could rise by 1.6 per cent in the New Year in line with last month's RPI figure. If the rise goes ahead, it will hit many of us just as we return to the physical workplace for the first time since lockdown and will do little to encourage people back to public transport.

We’ve been calling for fares to be held at their current level to help get the economy back on track. If the Government presses ahead with the increase it will have missed an opportunity to send a clear message about travel and commuting choices.

If you’re on twitter, please tweet using the hashtag #nofarerise to join in the conversation. With the final decision to be taken in the Autumn, there’s still time to let the Government know that a fare rise at this time is counter productive to encouraging passengers back to the railways and to limiting the cost of people’s commutes.

Flexible commuting?

The lack of flexible season tickets has been out of step with working patterns for years, but the recent changes to millions of people’s work life brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic has meant the five-day-a-week annual ticket is now even more outdated.

We’ve long-called for more flexible season tickets for part-time workers, and last month the Government asked rail companies to submit proposals for part-time season tickets. This welcome move could give people who work and commute flexibly or part-time a fairer deal on train tickets for the first time. Now the Government must go further by ensuring all rail companies offer part-time season tickets from January.

We think fares reform, including flexible season tickets, should form part of the Government's Transport Decarbonisation Plan to help encourage modal shift and reduce carbon emissions. If you haven't already taken part in the Government's online survey, this might be one of the suggestions you want to make. Follow the link below to take part in the consultation and please let us know if you do via this short online form.