North East chosen to pilot on-demand rail fares
Rail fares on the North East’s main link with London will fluctuate based on demand under a trial ticketing scheme announced by Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
The cost of travel on some London North Eastern Railway (LNER) services on the East Coast Main Line will be more or less expensive depending on how many seats have been filled.
The scheme is an attempt to better manage capacity while also raising revenue, according to the Department for Transport.
Mr Harper also confirmed plans to expand ‘single leg pricing’ across the entire LNER network – meaning a single fare will always be half the cost of a return.
Many one-way fares will be almost halved as a result of the reform, according to the DfT.
LNER, a publicly owned operator, has trialled single-leg pricing on some of its routes since 2020.
The DfT said it will consider rolling out the system across all of Britain's rail network depending on the success of the extended pilot scheme.
Mr Harper said: "I am setting out the Government's long-term vision for the future of our railways.
"The industry's road to recovery after Covid has been tough, with reform badly needed to win back that lost passenger revenue while putting customers first.”
Labour' s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: "Whichever ticket you buy, passengers are paying more for less under the Conservatives' broken rail system.
"Thirteen years of failure has seen fares soar, more servicesthan ever cancelled, while failing operators continue to be handed millions in taxpayers' cash.