Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on (a) steps to keep customers informed about and (b) requirements for providing information on the availability of advance rail tickets; if he will bring forward (i) legislative proposals and (ii) other measures to make travelling by train more affordable; and if he will make a statement.

The Department holds regular discussions with the train operating companies (TOCs) who regularly market the benefits of booking in advance. Some TOC websites display remaining availability of advance purchase train specific fares at different prices, but it is a well-established principle that the further ahead the booking is made, the cheaper advance tickets usually are.

We are currently consulting on the legislative aspects of the Plan for Rail with a deadline for responses of 4 August. Legislation will be introduced when the parliamentary timetable allows.

Once established, Great British Railways will be accountable for delivering and improving the offer to customers.

There are a number of railcards available that offer discounts against most rail fares. More recently, we launched the Great British Rail Sale, the first ever nationwide rail sale. The Great British Rail Sale helped save families money and connect them with friends and families. Over 1.3 million tickets were sold, offering around £7 million worth of savings for passengers.