Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 38420 on Railways: Fylde, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of linking fare increases to improvements in (a) service quality and (b) reliability across different regions.

A proportionate, annual increase in fares is necessary to support crucial investment and to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the railway.

Regarding performance-based fares increases, any changes to fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers. If the rail industry is inadequately funded in the short term it will lack the capacity and performance to deliver long-term ambitions of financial sustainability, modal shift and helping to deliver the UK’s net zero target.