Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Rail Fares

Thursday 8 February 2024 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Since 2010, regulated rail fares in Great Britain have decreased by around 7% compared to the retail prices index.
  • The UK Government has capped rail fare increases below inflation and contributed 45.9 billion in the last three years to keep fares affordable.
  • ScotRail services have seen a 4% increase in demand since peak fares were scrapped for an extended period.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Western Lab Stretford and Urmston
Transport
Context

Since 2010, rail fares have risen significantly in the UK. Andrew Western asks about the assessment of these fare increases' impact on passenger numbers.

Question

What assessment he has made of the impact of the rise in rail fares on passenger numbers since 2010?

Answer from Huw Merriman

Since 2010, regulated fares across Great Britain have decreased by around 7% compared with the retail prices index. The Government continue to intervene to keep fares affordable, and to encourage travel, by capping increases below inflation and delivering initiatives such as the second great British rail sale.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific assessment of how rising rail fares have affected passenger numbers.

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Q2 Andrew Western Lab Stretford and Urmston
Economy Transport
Context

Urmston train station, part of Andrew Western's constituency, was one of the ten worst performing stations last year regarding service reliability. He is concerned about an impending fare increase.

Question

For a period last year, Urmston train station in my constituency was one of the country's 10 worst performing train stations for service reliability. Given the level of service experienced by my constituents who use Urmston and other stations on the line, why are they set to face an inflation-busting fare increase in March?

Answer from Huw Merriman

If we take the current year's fares as an example, we delivered the biggest Government intervention on rail fares since privatisation by capping fare increases at 5.9%, which was 6.4 percentage points below the July RPI. In the last three years, the UK taxpayer has contributed £45.9 billion to keep the railways going.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address why fare increases are being implemented despite poor service reliability.

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Q3 Edward Leigh Con Gainsborough
Transport
Context

There has been a promise of establishing a through train service from Market Rasen to London, but it is currently held up by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Question

If a person were to get a train from Market Rasen to London later this morning, not only would they be hit by a hefty rail fare, as we all know, but, worse, it would take them over three hours and two changes. My hon. Friend has repeatedly promised me and my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers) that he will give us a through train to London. I understand that he has now approved that—he can confirm it today—but it is held up on the desk of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. We do not want some bean counter in the Treasury stopping our train.

Answer from Huw Merriman

I fear a career-limiting response. My right hon. Friend's campaign is strong, and he is absolutely right that it has this team's support; I am sure that it will have support across Government. It is currently being looked at, and I hope to be able to give him and his colleagues good news.

Not addressed: Did not confirm the status or timeline of establishing a through train service from Market Rasen to London.

How: It Is Currently Being Looked At

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Q4 Owen Thompson SNP
Transport Scotland
Context

Scotland has scrapped peak fares and extended the policy. Owen Thompson asks if similar policies will be implemented across Anglo-Scottish services.

Question

Last October, peak fares were scrapped across Scotland's railways for six months. That has been extended to nine months, until the end of June. As a result, ScotRail services are 4% busier and demand has shifted across the service day. Meanwhile, Department for Transport-owned London North Eastern Railway has pushed up prices for thousands of tickets in the name of simplification, in some cases costing passengers going to and from Scotland hundreds of pounds extra. Will the Minister look to the lessons that Scotland has learned from scrapping peak fares, and apply that policy across Anglo-Scottish services?

Answer from Huw Merriman

I am delighted to talk about things that are being scrapped, because perhaps we can shift towards rail freight. The SNP budget has just been set. Mode shift revenue support has always been given to rail freight, to move freight from road to rail, but the SNP Scottish Government have just announced that they are axing that subsidy. Not only that, but for the year to come, the cross-border subsidy between Scotland and the rest of Great Britain is being scrapped, too.

Not addressed: Did not address whether policies from scrapping peak fares in Scotland would be applied to Anglo-Scottish services.

How: I Am Delighted To Talk About Things That Are Being Scrapped

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