REFORM OF RAIL FARES

Motion Text

That this House welcomes the record levels of Government investment in the railways; further welcomes the Transport Committee Report, `How fair are fares? Train fares and ticketing'; notes that the Committee concluded that despite record investment the privatised railway has put revenue and profit before passengers over the last decade and that in terms of value for money and user-friendliness the current system has proven to be an abject failure; further notes that fare structures are chaotic and pricing absurd because they are determined by commercial considerations rather than considerations for the public good and that the current system is not fit for purpose; and supports the Committee's recommendation that Government must address this situation by incorporating a coherent policy on fares and ticketing structures into the forthcoming White Paper on Rail.