Making rail easier and better to use

As well as supporting train operators and Network Rail to make improvements to the customer experience today, our work aims to start bringing greater consistency ahead of Great British Railways (GBR). 

Customer Value Proposition 

Our work in this area aims to overhaul how the sector understands what people want from rail today. By creating better data and systems to consider customer needs, we can foster a culture and structure focused on customer-led decision making and reduce duplication across operators.

This will help improve efficiency and the customer experience, with decisions led by what people are looking for from rail in different markets not what the industry thinks customers want.

This is being achieved through working closely with partners such as Transport Focus and Transport for London (TfL), as well as by engaging directly with rail’s customers through community workshops.

By embedding customer led thinking and showing we genuinely care about their needs, we can start growing rail’s revenue base and improve financial sustainability today so that GBR has a foundation to be bolder and go further in the future.

Making tickets easier to choose and buy 

We will simplify ticketing, increase access to pay-as-you-go travel options in urban areas, and improve the digital services on offer so we make the customer experience simpler and better. In addition, we will help to fix the market by lowering barriers to entry to new entrants. All of this will increase innovation, competition and deliver improvements that customers will tangibly feel, as well as reducing costs across the system.

To deliver this we are working closely with the Department for Transport (DfT) and partners such as third-party retailers, TfL and other local transport providers

We’ve already worked with train operators and the DfT to help unlock trials of flexible season tickets, single-leg pricing and dynamic pricing.

Making train travel easier for people with additional accessibility needs

We want to create a more accessible and inclusive railway. As well as creating more revenue, improving accessibility will create more positive experiences for people travelling with luggage, bicycles, prams and buggies, young children and others with mobility issues.

To create this we are working closely with industry partners and accessibility groups on delivering a strategy to improve accessibility on the railways.

A commitment to grow rail freight

In making rail freight easier to work with we will get customers choosing rail and make it simpler and easier for freight to use the network, which will unlock more sustainable long-term growth and investment in rail freight. This will help the nation achieve ambitious net-zero targets as well as improving rail’s financial position.

We have worked with Network Rail to establish a single national rail freight team, providing a joined-up approach to growing rail freight and a single point of contact for the rail freight sector.

We used the insight and evidence base gathered from our call for evidence on rail freight growth to inform the rail freight growth target of least 75% by 2050.