Slide in rail season ticket revenue continues in 2017-18

Season ticket revenue for franchised operators continues to fall, despite an increase in overall fares revenue.

Statistics released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on December 6 reveal that the amount of money spent on season tickets fell by £99 million during the 12-month period ending March 31 2018, to £2.072 billion. This is £133m lower than the record figure of £2.205bn in 2015-16.

Revenue for ordinary fares increased by £315m in 2017-18 to a new record level of £7.584bn, and revenue from all ticket sales rose by £214m to £9.655bn. This represents a real-terms increase of £38m over the adjusted figure of £9.617bn in 2016-17.

Direct rail support (including Network Grant payments to Network Rail) from government increased from £4.081bn in 2016- 17 to £4.199bn in 2017-18, while High Speed 2 received £2.088bn of government investment.

The total figure of £6.365bn was the highest in real terms since 2006-07, when (adjusting for inflation) total government investment was £7.664bn.

Government loans to Network Rail were £5.917bn, a £234m increase compared with the previous year, while freight grants fell by £1m to £17m.

Private investment in the rail industry increased from £925m in 2016-17 to £1.28bn in 2017-18. The £355m difference was largely accounted for by a £247m rise in rolling stock investment, but there was also a £20m increase in stations investment, a £5m increase in track and signalling spend, and an £84m increase in what the ORR calls ‘other investment’ to £189m.