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Written question asked by Stuart Anderson (Conservative) on Thursday, 27 January 2022, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 31 January 2022. It was answered by Wendy Morton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 1 February 2022 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Railways: Fares

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of train fares in (a) the West Midlands and (b) across the UK.

Answer

Increases to regulated rail fares in England will be capped and tied to the Retail Price Index (RPI) figure for July 2021 (3.8 per cent). The Government has deliberately continued to use the July RPI figure as it was lower than subsequent months. In addition, as in 2021, we have temporarily frozen fares for passengers to travel at the lower price for the entirety of January and February 2022, with fares changing on 1 March 2022.

The fares rise in the West Midlands will be in line with the national rise. Rail fares outside England are a devolved matter and decisions regarding fares increases are for the devolved administrations.

We have recently introduced flexible season rail tickets, in England, which provide better value to most two to three day-a-week commuters than buying daily tickets or traditional seasons. We have also saved a generation of passengers a third off their rail fares, including the 16-17 Saver and 26-30 Railcards and, most recently, the Veterans Railcard. Railcard discounts are available UK wide.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
113260
Session
2021-22
Subjects
Fares Railways
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk