Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will be required to publish the justification for directional differences in rail fares on the same route.

The Government is overhauling the complex fares system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are getting the right fare. We are already delivering positive changes, including expanding pay as you go ticketing, and trialling easier to understand fares on some long-distance routes. Where operators have implemented directional pricing in the past this has reflected a range of commercial and operational decisions. While we have not assessed specific instances (such as the Portsmouth direct line), the move to Great British Railways will enable a consistent and holistic approach to fares setting.