North English rail services administered by public entities lower ticket prices
Affordable Train Fares Boost Connectivity Across the North
A collaborative initiative by LNER, TransPennine Express, and Northern, in partnership with Network Rail, has introduced affordable fares on underperforming routes to encourage more people to choose the train. The UK government and the Department for Transport have supported this initiative, which aims to make fares cheaper on routes requiring an interchange between the operators.
The idea for the fare reduction came about following an analysis of mobile network data, which identified underperforming travel flows for cross-operator advance journey options. It was found that despite competitive journey times vs car between Leeds and Manchester, rail's modal share was low, largely due to a lack of consistent ticket options for train journeys involving more than one operator.
In June 2024, a pilot was launched to make fares cheaper on these routes. The pilot, which took place between Leeds and Manchester, was welcomed by UK rail minister, Lord Peter Hendy, who commended the collaborative work for making train travel simpler and more affordable.
The cheaper fares aim to open up more options for people traveling across the North, boosting connectivity and growth. As a result of this initiative, an additional £200,000 in revenue has been generated for the railway.
The achievements and innovations in public transport planning will be recognised at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025. The event, which will take place at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London, will honour the collaborative work of LNER, TransPennine Express, and Northern for making train travel more accessible and affordable.
Despite the success of this initiative, no information was provided about SYMCA or the modernization of the Supertram network.
