Return train tickets are to become a thing of the past as part of a major overhaul of Britain’s rail industry.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper is expected to announce the end of two-way tickets later this week as he unveils plans for significant reforms of the railway.
It is expected that return fares will be phased out and replaced with single-leg pricing which will mean the price of both legs will be the same as the current two-way fares. The move follows a successful trial scheme by LNER in 2020.
At the time, LNER said the method would simplify and clarify ticket purchasing and make it easier for passengers to ensure they were buying the most suitable fare.
Harper is likely to announce plans to adopt new ticketing technology that will see paper tickets phased out in favour of digital QR code tickets and Oyster card-style smartcard systems.
A new public body to oversee the operation of trains and tracks is also expected to be announced. Great British Railways (GBR) will be an arms-length company which will also be responsible for ticketing and timetabling under the changes expected to be revealed on Tuesday.
Plans for the creation of GBR were first announced in 2021 but have stalled under a series of successive Transport Secretaries. However, Harper is expected to confirm that it will be established to take on responsibility for tickets and timetables currently handled by the Department for Transport.
