I am pleased that, despite the need to invest £16 billion in rail infrastructure improvements such as the recently opened £26 million upgrade of Three Bridges station, the on-going £53 million upgrade of Gatwick station and extra rolling stock for Thameslink and Southern Railway services, this Government has taken action to curb the rail industry’s powers to increase fares as part of the Government’s drive to cut the cost of living and overhaul the existing rail fare system.
The ability of train operators to add an additional five per cent to some individual fares, as long as the average rise of regulated fares is maintained at one per cent above inflation, is being limited to just two per cent by the Transport Secretary, Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP. By capping fares, the Government is protecting passengers from large rises, saving some commuters as much as £200 a year.
As well as curbing the rise in fares, the Transport Secretary is investigating future innovations such as the end of paper tickets, a code of conduct for train companies to give passengers the confidence that they are getting the best deal for their journey, and a flexible approach to season tickets which could benefit part-time workers.
A Department for Transport pilot scheme could see all long-distance rail tickets sold on a single-leg basis and allow passengers to more easily “mix and match” each ticket type when planning a return journey.
Currently the Government regulates the price of off-peak return fares, meaning train operating companies are able to price other tickets including off-peak singles more freely. This can lead to a situation where the cost of single tickets is similar to that of returns.
In addition, under plans to roll out high speed mobile broadband for Crawley commuters, mobile signal on trains will be improved by a combination of an upgrade of Network Rail’s existing infrastructure and the installation of equipment that alleviates the barriers to good signal on board a train. Crawley passengers are expected to benefit from these improvements to their journey from 2015.
The Government’s ‘Fares and ticketing review’, therefore, sets out the vision for a modern, customer-focused fares and ticketing system aimed at ensuring a better service for Crawley’s rail passengers. I hope other local rail commuters like me will welcome these improvements.
Henry Smith MP