Exclusive:Labour urged to introduce £49-a-month rail subscription to reduce transport inequalities in the North
A new report from Greengauge 21, commissioned by Greenpeace UK and exclusively shared with the Yorkshire Post and the Guardian, argues that by launching the project across the North it would help reduce regional transport inequalities.
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Hide AdIt proposes creating a £49-a-month subscription, that would give users unlimited train travel across Britain - except with high-speed long distance services and around London.
The report argues that the rail fare system outside of London is unnecessarily complicated, confusing and expensive, “leading to people losing trust in the system”.
It claims the “climate card” would simplify it and save 40 million car journeys a year nationwide.
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Hide AdGermany has been given as an example of a similar scheme having success, with a 28 per cent increase in regional and local rail journeys in the first year.
The report estimates that if the response in Britain is similar to that in Germany, it would cost the Treasury £45 million a year.
Paul Morozzo, Greenpeace UK’s senior transport campaigner, said: “Our current rail fare system is far too complicated, confusing and expensive - it’s time to redesign it with passengers in mind.
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Hide Ad“A monthly climate card would simplify the ticketing system, save commuters hundreds of pounds per month and cut emissions - a triple win.”
He added: “Today we are calling on the Transport Secretary to create a climate card for Britain, and trial it in the North of England first.
“If Labour are looking for a bold idea that helps people with the cost of living, tackles the climate crisis, and evens out regional inequalities, this could be it."
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Hide AdTransport Secretary Louise Haigh, who is also the MP for Sheffield Heeley, told this paper that improving connectivity across Northern cities is one of her main priorities.
However, experts have said the focus needs to be on improving infrastructure and reliability of trains ahead of slashing fares.
Office of Rail and Road figures show that between April and June 2024 just 53 per cent of TransPennine Express trains were on time, with 62 per cent of Northern Trains and 56 per cent of Hull trains.
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Hide AdThe regulator also found that 80 per cent of Northern Trains cancellations were caused by the operator, the most of any train company.
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, explained that “integrated travel and ticketing across the North” was always part of the group’s vision, although only now are metro mayors able to bring this in.
“The challenge with Greenpeace’s bold proposal is the current constrained peak time capacity on many of our suburban, as well as east – west rail services, which makes us different from Germany for instance,” he explained.
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Hide AdMr Murison said extra rolling stock would be needed to accommodate more passengers and hundreds of platforms would need to be lengthened.
He also said that the northern leg of HS2 would be required “in full to unlock the additional rail capacity in and out of busy stations like Manchester and Leeds needed to run more and longer trains”.
“Without an equally novel funding source, such as road pricing, and a time machine to reverse many years of dithering on infrastructure this plan appears, sadly, impractical,” he added.
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Hide AdThe first bill passed by the new government committed to bringing rail companies back into public ownership.
The planned high-speed line from Liverpool to Leeds, Hull and Sheffield, with a new station in Bradford, was delayed after Rishi Sunak cancelled the northern leg of HS2 last year.
Ms Haigh previously told the Yorkshire Post that readers should be assured that connecting up the North “will be a priority” in her infrastructure review.
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