Return train tickets could be scrapped forcing Brits to buy two singles

05 February 2023 , 21:47

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Return tickets will soon be scrapped under new plans to 'reform' British rail (Image: PA)

Return train fares could be scrapped as part of a major railway shake up which could also see paper tickets phased out for QR codes.

Two-way tickets, which often work out slightly cheaper, will no longer be available under the reforms expected to be announced this week.

If the change is confirmed, passengers will be forced to buy two singles for the same price instead.

The shake up follows a trial by LNER in 2020 getting rid of returns.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper is expected to unveil the reforms in a speech on Tuesday, where he will outline plans for 'Great British Railways' - a new public body which will merge the way train services and tickets and timetabling are operated.

Price of train tickets to fluctuate based on demand under new trial scheme

Paper tickets could also be phased out to go contactless (PA)

Part of the overhaul could spell the end for printed tickets, with reports Mr Harper plans to begin a transition to digital tickets and contactless travel cards similar to London's Oyster cards instead.

Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan told MPs in October that the Government had axed its plan to introduce a Transport Bill during the current parliamentary session because legislation to deal with the energy crisis was being prioritised.

The now-axed Bill included plans to bring in Great British Railways (GBR), absorbing state-owned Network Rail which manages rail infrastructure, and issuing contracts to private companies to run trains, The Telegraph reports.

The move comes amidst proposals to completely overhaul British rail (PA)

The body was due to begin operating in early 2024 but that timetable has been scrapped.

GBR was a policy first tabled by former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who claimed it will focus on “bringing everything together and running a much more efficient service for passengers”.

The proposals come amidst a crisis point for British rail, with figures for December showing that even without strikes, nearly one in every 12 services was cancelled.

Susie Beever