Greenpeace proposes revolution in UK rail ticketing
Global environmental advocacy group Greenpeace has published a report into rail ticketing, along with partners the Foundation for Integrated Transport and Greengauge 21, recommending the UK moves towards a “subscription” model – with the climate at its core.
Global environmental advocacy group Greenpeace has published a report into rail ticketing, along with partners the Foundation for Integrated Transport and Greengauge 21, recommending the UK moves towards a “subscription” model – with the climate at its core.
Based on the Austrian “Klimaticket” model, the pressure groups said a monthly UK-wide “climate ticket” could produce a fairer ticketing system and boost the use of the UK’s railways.
When a similar ticket was introduced in Germany, DB reported a 28% uptick in rail use. Greenpeace said a similar figure would be achieved in the UK.
Instead of a complex milage system, or a zonal one that would require passengers to add “top-ups” when visiting major cities, the paper argued for a flat monthly rate.
“A key attraction is its simplicity, although as in Germany and Austria, there could be varying price levels that might match the various railcards on offer in the UK,” Fare Britannia set out.
The simplicity of the approach, and the intention to make a more equitable system of rail ticketing, are intended to solve two of the largest problems UK rail passengers currently face: exorbitant cost and a Byzantine system of privatised TOCs across a jigsaw of the national network.
