Ticket prices could rise in rail fare reform

Rethink of way travel costs are calculated intended to do away with system that has 55m different fares

An overhaul of rail fares could result in the price of tickets increasing, industry sources have admitted. Rail companies announced plans to rethink the way fares are calculated to remove anomalies that make it cheaper to buy two tickets on some journeys. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies and Network Rail, said the review would not mean that average fares would have to increase and would not require any extra taxpayers’ money.

A MAJOR overhaul of the train ticketing system could result in fares increasing, rail industry sources have admitted.

Rail companies unveiled plans yesterday for a complete rethink of the way tickets are calculated to remove anomalies in the system that make it cheaper to buy two single fares on some journeys. Currently, there are 55million different fares available on Britain’s train network.

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies and Network Rail, pledged the review would not mean that average fares would have to increase and would not require any extra financial support from taxpayers.

It blamed a ticketing system that is underpinned by pre-internet regulations that are unchanged from the midnineties, and have not kept pace with technology or how people work and travel.

The group insisted that “proposals will be designed to be neutral in overall revenue terms with no change in average fares, and therefore not requiring any extra taxpayer support for the railway”. However, rail industry sources made clear that if more expensive fares were removed, then cheaper fares would have to rise to ensure any changes remain neutral.

An explicit commitment to cutting train fares is not included in a series of principles published by the Rail Delivery Group to shape the review.

One source said: “This is not about us making more money… but some things are going to go up and some things are going to go down. There are going to have to be difficult decisions.”

A Government source warned the industry not to use the reforms to increase fares, saying “losing cheap fares and putting others up is not a workable proposal”.

Alex Hayman, the managing director of public markets at Which?, said: “The rail industry is considered to be one of

the least trusted to act in consumers’ best interests – and a complicated ticketing system that leads to many passen- gers paying rip-off fares has played a major part in that.

“The consultation is an opportunity for the rail industry to rebuild trust and ensure there are better value fares available and much better services to address passengers’ experiences with confusing ticketing systems and services.”

A survey by KPMG found that only a third of passengers were “very confident” that they had bought the best value ticket for their last train journey.

The Rail Delivery Group yesterday conceded that passengers are sometimes charged peak fares for off-peak journeys because of strict rules forcing them to offer one “through fare” at the time of purchase. This can happen if a passenger starts a two-legged journey during a peak period and then changes to start the second part of the trip in off-peak hours.

Paul Plummer, the group’s chief executive, pledged to “grasp the nettle”. He said: “Well-intentioned but ultimately frustrating regulations have failed to keep pace with technology or how people work and travel today. “

Separately, workers at two rail companies will launch a fresh strike tomorrow in the long-running dispute over the role of guards on trains. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union on Greater Anglia and Arriva Rail North (Northern) will walk out for 24 hours. Arriva Rail North said it will run more than 1,300 services.