By Anthony Smith, Chair
Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander was reported by the Financial Times as describing the renationalisation of trains as part of a rail “revolution” designed to cut public subsidies, improve services, and “put more bums on seats.” It’s a bold ambition but for passengers, the test will be much simpler: does rail reform make their journeys easier, offer value for money tickets and more reliable?
Few experiences frustrate passengers more than a delayed train, a confusing ticket purchase, or feeling they’ve overpaid because of an opaque fare system. For many travellers, it’s not just the railways that needs fixing but a closer look at what can be done to improve the ticketing buying process.
Independent rail retailers have stepped in to make sense of this complexity. From user-friendly apps to value for money tickets; they’re the retailers of train tickets and they do it well. With thousands of passengers purchasing tickets from them, they know what they’re doing and continue to invest and innovate in the systems they’ve created, helping the Government sell more tickets and “put more bums on seats”.
Yet, their ability to innovate is limited by rules, data restrictions, and structures that haven’t kept pace with modern expectations. Ticketing rules are complex, data access is uneven, and others often hold the cards. When something goes wrong; a cancellation, a delay, or a confusing fare, passengers often direct frustration toward the retailer, even when the root cause lies with the rail system itself. This dynamic undermines trust and discourages innovation.
Rail reform, therefore, isn’t just about fixing tracks and timetables, it’s about unlocking a retail ecosystem where independent retailers can deliver choice, transparency, and innovation for the benefit of passengers – which is why it’s more important than ever to get it right. Retailers are committed to delivering more great customer experiences, but they need Government support to remove barriers to enable a more successful and thriving rail retailing market.
For passengers the measure of success is much simpler: can I get a value for money ticket? Can I buy and use a ticket easily and reliably? Can I get from A to B without confusion or being told I’ve got the wrong ticket? And when things go wrong, can I get compensated without jumping through hoops and hurdles?
Independent rail retailers are key to answering “yes.” With fair access, open data, and supportive policies, they can deliver innovation that transforms the customer experience and restores trust in the railway. If reform is to encourage more people to choose trains – then unlocking the barriers to innovation and ensuring fair access to data will be key to achieving it. This means creating an environment where independent retailers, Government, Great British Railways, and operators work even more closely together to deliver the seamless, customer-first railway passengers expect and deserve.
With the reform bill set to be introduced this autumn, it’s crucial that passenger choice, value for money, innovation remain a top priority, as that will be the key to “more bums on seats”.
