The next few years are set to be defining for the UK’s rail industry, with Great British Rail reform, devolution deals, and the launch of the new Integrated Transport Strategy promising to enhance the network.

At this pivotal moment in UK transport policy, Green Alliance’s most recent report, ‘Next stop, better rail,’ explores how government and industry should work to revitalise the nation’s rail system.

Drawing on Cardiff University’s analysis of Trainline ticket data, the report highlights stark regional inequalities in rail travel and sets out clear priorities for revitalisation—more reliable and frequent services, stronger public transport integration, and measures to make rail travel more affordable. As the sector stands at this crossroads, the challenge now is to turn these insights into action.

The Current State of UK Rail

At the report’s launch, Rosie Allen, policy advisor at Green Alliance, argued that rail is crucial for cutting transport emissions and reducing reliance on car travel. However, she noted that many communities, despite being connected to the network, remain dependent on cars due to rail travel being less affordable and less efficient.

This viewpoint is supported by new, interactive mapping produced by Cardiff University that visualises the costs and journey times of rail travel across varied routes,

During a webinar hosted by Green Alliance, Dr Crispin Cooper, lecturer at the School of Computer Science & Informatics, Cardiff University demonstrated that most rail journeys are financially more expensive than the fuel costs of driving.

When comparing journey times, the high-speed lines in and out of London offer a more efficient service than driving. However, the same cannot be said for regional lines. For example, travelling between Manchester and Leeds is 36% slower by train than by car. Meanwhile, Newquay to Falmouth emerged as one of the worst-performing routes, with rail journeys taking around 2 hours 15 minutes compared to just 45 minutes by car.

Dr Cooper argued that these maps highlight how London-centric the rail network currently is. Correspondingly, more people travel by train to and from London than between other major cities. For instance, more annual rail trips are made from Liverpool or Manchester to London than between these two cities, despite their close proximity.

To address this disparity, Stephen Joseph OBE, a trustee at the Foundation for Integrated Transport, proposed key short-term actions outside the southeast. While the southeast benefits from frequent trains with ample carriages, other regions often rely on just a few carriages per hour. Extending trains and platforms in these areas would therefore make services more attractive.

Notably, Joseph acknowledged that positive developments are already underway in some regions, such as the Mid Cornwall Metro project, which is being developed to improve rail services in the southwest. In addition, he praised Transport for Wales for integrating its TrawsCymru bus services into timetables and fares. However, he stressed that broader, systemic changes are necessary to drive a meaningful shift toward rail travel.

Enhancing UK Rail

During the report’s launch, Rosie Allen noted that the Labour Party committed to growing rail use in its pre-election rail policy paper, ‘Getting Britain Moving.’ To deliver this growth, Green Alliance has stressed three key areas of development: affordability, improving connections, and better integration between modes.

Allen called for a comprehensive reform of rail fares and ticketing, greater capital investment to strengthen regional connectivity and accelerate track electrification, and better coordination between bus and rail timetables—alongside improved active travel facilities.

While reforms like the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR) have the potential to address these issues and reduce regional disparities, John Davies, VP of Industry Relations at Trainline, cautioned that reform will take years to materialise. In the meantime, he stressed the need for immediate improvements to make rail a more attractive option.

John Davies, VP Industry Relations at Trainline said:

Some of the things that need to be made to happen to make the industry attractive as a modal choice cannot wait. I think the industry should be seeking out the opportunities to deliver in different dimensions and think about trust, simplicity, convenience and value. I think there are things that we can do now to improve the way in which customers can enjoy trust, such as improving accessibility to things like delay repay.

In terms of simplicity, Davies highlighted the increasing pressure to simplify fare structures but expressed frustration that the focus seems to be on the balkanisation of systems, rather than a national standard. For example, Greater Manchester’s Bee Network is currently working towards rolling out a pay-as-you-go system based on the London model.

Davies added:

When I hear about Manchester wanting what London’s got, my heart sinks a little because I don’t want what London’s got for the rest of the national network. I want people to be able to travel around the national network freely and without hindrance and without having to know how the ticketing system in Manchester differs from that in Birmingham or Merseyside.

I think there’s a balance to be struck in terms of resolving the needs of devolved administrations who want to make the world a better place for their local constituents but also ensuring that they still continue to think more holistically as part of a national network.

To strike this balance, Stephen Joseph pointed to the Scandinavian system, which is comprised of “islands and bridges,” with the islands offering zonal fares around cities such as Copenhagen and Malmö, while the bridges provide intercity fares between them. This offers simplicity alongside a multimodal network in city regions.

Arguably, this system has not been replicated in the UK because, according to Joseph, current modelling from industry and government tends to give priority to complexity on the basis of consumer choice, rather than simplicity.

UK Rail Fares

Beyond fare simplification, affordability remains a key issue. While lowering fares outright would widen the revenue gap, Davies argued that increasing the perceived value of rail travel could also encourage higher ridership. Enhanced intermodal options, better marketing, and filling existing capacity could drive revenue growth without increasing fares.

Meanwhile, Stephen Joseph suggested targeted approaches to affordability, rather than across-the-board reductions. For example, he argued in favour of broadening qualification for Railcards and rewarding frequent travellers in the way airlines do.

This point was echoed by Crispin Cooper, who advocated for a means-tested Railcard to improve transport equity and provide access to the rail network for those who currently can’t afford it. He argued that this would be a win-win, as giving a discount to people who aren’t already using the network will increase, rather than decrease, revenue.

Crucially, the discussion also argued in favour of adjusting the nation’s tax system to better encourage the use of rail travel. Rosie Allen noted that previous Green Alliance reports have discussed potential sources of revenue from transport, such as pay-per-mile systems, as well as air pollution and congestion charges, which could play a role in making car travel less financially competitive.

In recent years, Davies acknowledged that the UK government’s policy has leaned significantly towards the fare box, rather than tax subsidies, to cover the cost of rail travel. Rail arguably gets dealt a bad hand, as the fuel duty has been frozen for so long, but train fares continue to rise each year. If policy choices were made more in favour of rail and less in favour of road, Davies contemplated that this could have a positive impact on sustainable travel.

This thought was echoed by Stephen Joseph, who suggested that current tax policies are not encouraging the modal shift to rail.

Stephen Joseph OBE, Foundation for Integrated Transport trustee said:

We’ve seen fuel duty go down while public transport fairs, particularly rail and bus, have gone up, so while you’ve got the tax on motoring getting reduced and the cost of rail fares going up, it is not surprising that people choose to drive.

Joseph also highlighted smaller but significant tax policies that work against rail. For instance, employers face different tax obligations when purchasing a rail season ticket for employees compared to providing a company car—creating an incentive structure that favors road travel over rail.

Turning Insights into Action

Green Alliance’s latest report and its launch event reinforced the need for action to encourage a shift towards rail. While long-term reforms like Great British Railways will help shape the future, immediate steps—such as fare reforms, service improvements, and better multimodal integration—must be prioritised now.

If the government is serious about meeting its transport and environmental goals, it must deliver on its promises and take decisive steps to make rail the more practical, affordable, and accessible choice. The next few years will be critical in determining whether the UK rail network becomes a more equitable, efficient, and sustainable system—or whether it continues to lag behind its potential.

Green Alliance’s published report can be read here.

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