Crawley MP, Henry Smith, welcomed yesterday’s announcement that local rail passengers could soon be given extra confidence that they are getting the best deal on their journeys thanks to new plans being piloted.

The Department for Transport has announced plans for a pilot scheme that could see all long-distance rail tickets sold on a single-leg basis and allow passengers to more easily “mix and match” each ticket type when planning a return journey.

Currently the government regulates the price of off-peak return fares, meaning train operating companies are able to price other tickets including off-peak singles more freely. This can lead to a situation where the cost of single tickets is similar to that of returns.

By regulating off-peak singles instead, passengers would be able to choose the most appropriate ticket for each leg of their journey. It could also help tackle crowding by giving passengers more choice over which service they travel on.

Henry commented:

“This Government is investing record amounts into transforming our railways, with a £26 million upgrade of Three Bridges station, a £53 million upgrade of Gatwick station and extra rolling stock for Thameslink and Southern services, but alongside these improvements it’s vital passengers start to feel the benefit in their pockets.

“I welcome measures aimed at ending this confusing and frustrating system whereby the price of single fares for long-distance journeys can be similar to those of returns.

“Passengers need every confidence that the journeys they are paying for are the best deals in terms of convenience and money spent, and the launch of this pilot is proof of the determination to make that happen.”

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