Tap-in, tap-out rail fares could be expanded beyond London if a group of train operators gets its way.

The Rail Delivery Group has set out a wish-list of reforms for the industry and it wants the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and devolved governments to support them.

Another suggestion is removing the sudden change between peak and off-peak fares, to reduce overcrowding.

The lobby group said almost 20,000 people made submissions on how they would like the UK railways improved.

Transport Focus, the independent passenger watchdog which also worked on the consultation, said UK train operators currently offered an "outdated and outmoded fares and ticketing system".

Fair fares

Feedback from commuters found eight out of 10 want the fares system overhauled and nine out of 10 want smart or electronic tickets, with the potential for price capping.

The Rail Delivery Group said reforms would support tap-in, tap-out fares, a pay-as-you-go method used in London, and more integration with other modes of transport.

In London, tube and rail commuters can use contactless bank cards to automatically pay fares which are calculated based on where a passenger enters and exits the network.

Reform would mean updating regulations around peak and off-peak travel, Rail Delivery Group said, and ticket prices could be set more flexibly. This would reduce overcrowding, it said.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said customers have different needs and want changes that offer value and better reflect changing work habits.

"Rail companies are already working together on plans for real world trials so people can see what our proposals could mean for them".

All change

Mr Plummer said rail companies needed the government to change rules on how train fares are charged.

"Current regulation needs to be updated and we want to work with government, which is key to making improvements a reality, to deliver the better fares system the public wants to see."

The government is currently undertaking the Rail Review which is covering everything from commercial contracts to rail fare structures. Its consultation closes at the end of May.

The Rail Delivery Group said its ideas could be rolled out, train operator by train operator, in as little as three years.
Darren Shirley, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, said the existing system is "broken and desperately needs fixing".

"We're particularly pleased to see proposals for more flexible commuter tickets to reflect modern work patterns, something we've long called for, and for nationwide smart ticketing.

"What's not clear however, is if these proposals will also lead to an end to the annual fares rise, which fails to reflect the level of service passengers receive the previous year.

"It is now up to the Government to take forward these proposals to ensure we have a fares system that is fairer and easier to use."

Another proposal is to stop passengers having to buy split tickets to get the cheapest fares for some journeys.

This document sets out proposals for an easier fares system as a  rst part of the industry’s submission to the Williams review in to the future structure of rail. We know our customers want change quickly however, so we want to work with government to begin the journey of improvement where possible now, starting with a review of the TSA^▸ (Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.) and running a series of real-world trials over the next year. Commercial contracts would then need to be revised and agreed, starting a programme of reform which, with all parties working together, has the potential to be rolled out operator any operator across the network over the next 3-5 years.

The current system risks failing to protect customers. Rather, it distorts the market and undermines trust, to the extent that up to 35% of people are being put off travelling by train because they find it difficult to find the right fare.

No change is not an option. To do nothing is to fall behind, not stand still.

Unless we bring the system up to date with how people work and travel today, the railway is likely to become increasingly outmoded.  An overly rigid fares system will inhibit the  exibility of travel required in today’s economy.

For an industry which has been at the cutting edge of technology, and in earlier eras drove huge changes in behaviours, this would be a great tragedy; and yet, as we have demonstrated here, there is also a tantalising opportunity.
 
The incremental improvements to the system we have delivered within current constraints (as set out on page 28) are valuable, but with changes in regulation we can deliver far more. Working with government, passenger groups, retailers and others, we can create an up to date, easier to use system where customers have more control over when they travel and how much they pay, easing crowding at the busiest times of day and boosting the funding available for investment in the future railway.

We also believe that current ticketing reform projects in the pipeline could, with the aid of our fares proposals and the agreement of government and devolved authorities, quickly o er real bene t to customers and communities. This is particularly so with many of the planned smart ticketing schemes that could make a real diffrence to people’s lives, but only with the right fares structure in place.

These proposals show how this can be delivered, starting with the  rst stage, which is to work with the government to create a new set of regulations for the fares system as a whole, replacing the TSA. This does not require statutory change so could be done very quickly.

With these new regulations in place, the second stage would see commercial changes agreed with operators as part of changing the price regulation. This can ensure that the right products are developed for the right markets incrementally, with new pricing structures better able to re ect what people want to see from fares including fairness,  flexibility and a pay-for-what-you-need approach - allowing operators to be flexible in the face of shifting patterns of consumer behaviour.

The changes would need to be made on a contract-by-contract basis, with government weighing up the implications for each individual operator. The rail industry is committed to working with government to kick start this process. In addition, a series of real-world trials need to be set up in parallel with the Williams review process over the coming year that can showcase new types of fares and how they are sold, and this will require regulatory approval. These trials would demonstrate the bene ts to customers of reform while enabling further commercial modelling on a train operator by train operator basis, as a fundamental part of delivering a sustainable and successful new fares system.

Half of the industry’s revenue either  ows directly through to government or is within the scope of franchise renewals taking place in the next 12 months. With joint working, meaningful improvements can therefore be achieved quickly, supporting full reform rolling out across the network through the contracting process over the next 3-5 years. Other changes could be implemented through existing change processes in contracts. These reforms are capable of taking place under the current system, and under any new structures adopted by government and transport authorities as an output of the Williams review and are therefore complimentary to the on-going review.

The Rail Delivery Group, as the unified voice of the train operators and Network Rail, is arguing for reform not for the sake of change but for the pressing urgency of change. Reforming the system of fares is part of that journey, making fares simpler to understand, easier to buy, and always the best value-for- money. This document sets out our ideas for reform, backed by evidence, analysis, and popular opinion. With government, industry and others working together, we can move to a system which meets the needs of our customers and equips the railway for success now, and the generation to come.

Easier fares for all The Rail Delivery Group’s proposal for a more transparent, simpler to use, modern system of tickets and fares

Agreed about the banner advert. Pop up adverts and autoplaying videos are really, really annoying but that banner I hardly noticed.

I'm not surprised that the station site still looks like that. What surprises me is the jump to using extra rolling stock, rather than inter-working with the Newbury local service, which already seems not to have very tidy turnarounds.

Transport Minister says Bristol's public transport system 'absolutely fantastic'

Ms Ghani said she was impressed with the live times provided

Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani described the public transport system in Bristol as 'absolutely fantastic' while on a visit to the city today (February 16).

The MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) travelled on the MetroBus from Long Ashton to the Unversity of West England campus in Frenchay via the centre centre today.

It came a day after the Government published its Investing in the South West document, highlighting schemes it was backing in the region.

Getting off the MetroBus at UWE, Ms Ghani said: "It is a fantastic scheme, I jumped on the bus from Bristol and we are here in South Gloucestershire.

"I don't need to tell you that its doing well, the figures are showing it.

"We have passenger numbers really high in this region, it is because they have really thought about the type of journeys people want to take and how easy it can be."

Ms Ghani said she was impressed with the live times provided on a phone app and the methods of paying.

And she said the buses were at the forefront of efforts to introduce to clean air zones.

She said: "The biggest issue we face with constituents is looking at clean air zones and buses deliver that.

"They emit lower emissions and they take dozens and dozens of cars off the road."

Before taking a ride on the MetroBus, Ms Ghani visited Bristol Port for a tour of the Royal Portbury Docks and Avonmouth.

Graham - I know many factors are at play, but would you have a rough idea of what something like that could generate per annum based on this forum, and how far would that go towards future forum expenditure costs?

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A slow news day at The Mirror? Costly outlets at rail stations can hardly be a revelation to most people. I tend to plan any eating arrangements to exclude station outlet options.
Once though, at Temple Meads, I had a slight case of the munchies but after a quick look at the prices of the pasties in the underpass, I suddenly didn't feel all that hungry any more.

11:20 Weymouth to Swindon due 13:34
11:20 Weymouth to Swindon due 13:34 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 14 minutes late.
This is due to a safety inspection of the track earlier today.

Bump of the month!

Recent subjects:
* Safe rail transport of munitions
* On the funding of useful small projects forward

Members who would like to be added - please p.m. me or like this post / I will come back from time to time until Sunday 18th add in any likers

An epilepsy sufferer could struggle to get to work on time when new rules are introduced that only allow four cycles on Greater Anglia trains.

Claire Murray, from Roughton, near Cromer, cannot drive because of her condition, and is completely reliant on public transport to get to and from her work at the North Walsham Cottage Hospital.

The 40-year-old, who is single and lives in Carr Lane, Roughton, said: “I need my bike to cycle to and from the station to ensure I arrive at work on time and then catch the return train home.

“Greater Anglia will only be letting four bikes on a train at any one time from March 1, so I might have to wait an hour for the next train, which might already have four bikes on board.

“At present more than four bikes can be taken on the trains.

“I also feel it’s discriminating to people like myself who have a disability.”

She has also been told that she cannot reserve cycle spaces which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Miss Murray gets the 7.33am train from Roughton Road station and the 4.13pm from North Walsham home during the week, and pays a £4.90 daily fare.

Short haul air transport is very polluting, and largely needless when high speed/long distance rail is available, and could become more available.

Despite my dissatisfaction with certain aspects of UK^▸ (United Kingdom) rail travel, I am in general pro-rail and anti-airline on environmental grounds.