On Tuesday 13 July 2021, the House of Lords Built Environment
Committee will be holding its first evidence session as part of
its new short inquiry on the fare reforms proposed by the
Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.
This evidence session will be held remotely and streamed on
Parliament
TV.
At 9:30am the committee will hear from:
- Barry Doe, Fares Consultant, Rail Magazine
- Mark Smith, Fares Specialist, Man in Seat 61
- Neil Middleton, Fares Specialist, Railfuture.
Questions the committee is likely to ask include:
- What are the key fare reforms set out in the Williams-Shapps
Plan for Rail?
- What are the challenges facing the financing of the railways?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of altering the
fares and ticketing system? What benefits will the new system
bring which are not already commercially available?
- New flexible season tickets have received criticism for not
representing value for money compared with standard season
tickets. How could these tickets be adapted to offer greater
flexibility?
- Where are examples of good practice abroad and at home on the
efficiency of railways, the setting of fares, and the financial
viability of rail travel?
Commenting on this new inquiry, committee Chair Baroness
Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, said:
“The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail represents the biggest shakeup
of the railways in almost 30 years. Our inquiry will focus on the
proposals for fare reforms and how the new system will benefit
consumers.
“We will also look at the impact of the new system on finances
and risk and explore topics such as flexible tickets, smart
ticketing and the impact of COVID-19. We will then make our
recommendations to Government.”
More on the Built Environment Committee
This new cross-party committee has been appointed to consider
housing, planning, transport and infrastructure. It is chaired by
Baroness
Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG.
