Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on opening up the retail ticketing market to third party retailers and new market entrants.

In the Action Plan for Information on Rail Fares and Ticketing, launched on 13 December 2016, the Department committed to working with the Rail Delivery Group and recent market entrants to identify regulatory changes which will remove the barriers to entry for new entrants by June this year.

A number of steps will be taken to open up the ticket retail market, enabling third party retailers to play a greater role. This should lead to increased competition, and better outcomes for consumers. The overall Action Plan is a set of stretching actions to drive real improvement for passengers. Progress is reviewed regularly, working towards two key reports as set out in the Action Plan.