News

• Passengers asked to check before they travel as train operators change to reduced timetables temporarily  
• Train companies are amending timetables to make the train service more resilient as staff are affected by the  Omicron variant and, as previously during the pandemic, to reflect lower demand from passengers as people work from home  
• Temporary timetables deliver a more reliable service for passengers and better value for taxpayers by better matching service levels to the current number of passengers 

Today the government announced that the annual rail fare increase has been capped in line with inflation. Fares will be tied to the Retail Price Index (RPI) for July 2021 – representing a 3.8% increase with the changes coming into force in March.

New figures show fewer people are travelling by train following the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Earlier today, the Department for Transport published the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands.

• The rail industry is encouraging jobseekers across Britain to boost their job searches by applying for the free Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card
• Take-up has dropped by over a third since the start of the pandemic
• Over 62% of journeys using the card are taken in London and the South East – suggesting the rest of the country is missing out
• With job vacancies hitting a record high of 1.17m, the jobs market is showing rapid signs of recovery, with employment on the rise and thousands of opportunities opening up across the country meaning millions more could benefit from rail savings

• Ahead of a market engagement exercise today and as government looks to repair public sector finances, transport operators are wary that blunting private sector input could see taxpayers footing ‘significantly more’ of the bill to fund the railway
• While welcoming the set-up of GBR, operators warn against imposing a contractual straitjacket that could stifle innovation for passengers and slow down Britain’s recovery
• Rail companies ask for the ability to flexibly respond to the needs of passengers and have greater freedom to encourage people back to train travel

Delegates attending COP26 and passengers travelling through Glasgow Central railway station will be welcomed by a campaign highlighting rail’s green credentials. 

• Analysis of rail industry journey figures show a 26% increase in train journeys since the end of the summer holidays, with leisure journeys at around 90% of pre-pandemic levels
• A slower increase in commuter journeys, currently at 45% of pre-pandemic levels, is putting the recovery of city centre businesses at risk
• Overall, since the start of September, leisure journeys now account for 55% of all train journeys compared to 33% pre-pandemic.