Return train tickets will be scrapped, in a major rail shake-up, the Transport Secretary announced last night.
Delivering the annual George Bradshaw address to rail leaders in central London, Mark Harper also promised to continue with reforms of the Great British Railway announced by his predecessor, Grant Shapps, under the Johnson government.
Merseyrail has said it will be reviewing any proposals for changes to ticketing to ensure passengers in the Liverpool City Region get the best value for money.
Great British Railway (GBR) is a new public body that will bring the operation of tracks and trains under the same place for the first time.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER), a publicly-owned train operator, trialled scrapping return tickets on journeys from London to Edinburgh, Leeds, and Newcastle three years ago.
The trial has been viewed as a success and will be rolled out across the rest of the LNER network in spring.
If it continues to be successful will be extended to other operators.
Railways are a ‘broken model’
The Transport Secretary also announced plans to roll out pay-as-you-go ticketing across the South East similar to London’s Oyster System.
Currently, a ticket from Chester to Liverpool stations is £8.55 single and £8.75 return for an adult person without a discount.
Many return tickets cost slightly more than a single because the British Rail introduced saver return tickets to encourage people to travel further for longer about 30 years ago.
Mark Harper said that railways “have a broken model, unable to adapt to customer needs, and financially unsustainable”
Suzanne Grant, Commercial Director at Merseyrail, said: “Merseyrail continues to offer some of the best value rail tickets in the country, and we remain committed to doing so.
“Along with other train operating companies within the UK, we will review any proposals around changes to ticketing and will work hard to ensure our pricing continues to offer the best value to our passengers here in the Liverpool City Region.”
