Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has (a) plans and (a) a budget allocated to eliminate paper rail tickets from the network; and if he will make a statement.
We have not asked train operators to withdraw paper tickets. As a result of our £80m investment in smart ticketing, passengers now have an alternative to the paper ticket across almost all of the network, making buying and using their ticket significantly more convenient. Later this year more options will become available, including travel across different operators. Smart ticketing, as well as changes in passenger preferences, will naturally lead to fewer paper tickets being sold.