Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that intercity rail fares remain affordable for passengers in the context of unregulated peak-time pricing on long-distance services.

We are taking important steps to reform long distance fares, as demonstrated through the LNER trial on some of their long-distance network. This includes moving away from the inefficient and unacceptable situation where some “peak” trains run nearly empty whilst some “off-peak” trains are crowded. At the heart of this trial is making more flexible products available to passengers, and making it easier to choose cheaper, less busy trains, putting passenger choice first and tackling overcrowding

LNER regularly report on the trial to demonstrate they are meeting their commitment to ensure more affordable tickets are available to passengers.