Commenting on the decision to delay and reduce rail fare rises, Programme Director Adam Tyndall said:
“It is a step in the right direction to delay the fares rise and to lower the increase. Whilst this is always a balancing act and investment in the network is vital, the best way to make more money available in the medium to long term is to ensure that ridership bounces back strongly post-pandemic. Omicron has set that timeline back, so the March date for this increase should be kept under review. The overwhelming priority for 2022 must be economic recovery and that will require enticing people back on to trains.”