Transport Insights

It’s a sign of how desperate the government is for good news that today the Department for Transport (DfT) has issued a press release in which the prime minister claims that not putting up rail fares “will put more money in working people’s pockets”.

It is indeed good news that fares have not gone up at the beginning of this month and if the DfT says this is the first freeze for 30 years, I am happy to believe them, although they seem to be happier pointing to increases under the Tories than last year’s increase.

Here’s what Keir Starmer is claimed to have said:

This freeze – the first since the 90s – will put more money in working people’s pockets. By keeping costs down we are making journeys more affordable for millions of people – putting train travel back into the service of passengers, not profits.

I’m not sure how not charging people more is actively putting money in their pockets and of course the government takes the revenue risk on rail fares under National Rail Contracts.

Meanwhile, the DfT says:

With transport costs making up 14% of household spending, this cost-cutting move is providing real savings for passengers

This is true but a bizarre thing to say all the same. Transport costs may make up 14% of household spending but rail fares could be as low as 1% of spending in the average household.

It’s also quite funny that the DfT has used a picture (above) of old fashioned orange magnetic stripe tickets to illustrate the story – the ones the whole industry is trying to move away from. Just for fun, I left the caption in.

But the DfT also rather stupidly refers to:

building on the expansion of successful Pay As You Go and fares trials across the country

In fact, the whole process of expanding pay as you go in the South East beyond London is and continues to be, a shambles.

Of 50 stations that were due to go live in December, 20 (on Greater Anglia Routes) had to be delayed.