Last week, our Chair, Anthony Smith, spoke at the Railfuture conference on the future of regional and national rail. It was a well-informed, passionate audience – united by one goal: getting more people back on rail.
Anthony, outlined the vital role IRR members play in delivering value-for-money tickets to passengers’ and supporting businesses, charities, educational insitutions, and clubs in managing rail use and tracking carbon impact – all while powering many of the ‘white label’ platforms used by train companies.
With just 4.5% commission per ticket, 95p of every pound goes back into the system, keeping cost of sales down. Independent retailers are perfectly incentivised to grow rail usage, and a competitive retail market unlocks innovation, tech, and private investment – ultimately benefitting passengers.
As Great British Railways (GBR) becomes a retailer it is crucial that there is keen, equal competition between all retailers. A sharp, commercially driven front end will help keep GBR firmly focused on the needs of passengers.
A great session at a pivotal time. Thanks to Railfuture for organising.
To learn more about our members and what they do, head to www.independentrailretailers.co.uk/who-we-are
