Brits will no longer be able to buy return train tickets in major fare shake up
Brits will no longer be able to buy return train tickets as part of new railway reforms.
This means you'll have to pay for two single tickets, rather than one return, the next time you're heading up or down the UK.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper is expected to announce these new ticketing plans now that Rishi Sunak has given it the green light.
Advert
For any panicked travellers worried about hiked train fees, you and your wallet can rest easy knowing that two single train tickets will be priced the same as a return ticket.
The new railway reforms mean Great British Railways (GBR) will become a new public body - a plan that was first introduced by Boris Johnson back in 2021.
At the time, the plans were put on the back burner due to heavy criticism that GBR as a public body would essentially be 'nationalisation through the back door'.
A government source who spoke to the Telegraph confirmed that Mr Harper's speech is being finalised this weekend, in which he plans to assure concerned Brits that Great British Railways isn't going anywhere, and that the 'idea that GBR is dead, is dead'.
It's understood that the new GBR public body will take on timetabling and ticketing - an area that is controlled by Department of Transport at the moment.
And if you've ever found yourself stuck at a platform gate after losing your train ticket, you might be glad to know that Mr Harper is expected to phase out physical tickets and make more use of ticketing technology.
Say goodbye paper and hello QR codes!
The move to make return tickets redundant comes after proven success during LNER trials with passengers back in 2020.
The trial, which swapped out return tickets for two single tickets, was also a success.
The east coast train operator said at the time: "Rail tickets can be confusing. We want to make choosing and buying rail tickets simpler and more transparent.
"We hope this new structure is more straightforward: there are no more return tickets – one journey requires just one ticket."
Following the news of Mr Harper's train ticketing reform announcement, people have already raised concerns about kicking the private sector out of the railways.
Former minister John Penrose suggested to the Telegraph: "Rather than bureaucrats or politicians pretending they know how much each passenger's journey should cost, why not get lots of different rail firms competing to beat each others' prices so tickets are always as cheap as possible?"
The finer details on the ins and outs of this new reform will all hopefully be ironed out this Tuesday when Mr Harper makes his announcement at Westminster.
Ali Condon