Rail Prices: Contactless Payments

Will Forster Excerpts

Wednesday 15th April 2026 Westminster Hall

[Rebecca Paul]

I agree, and I will come on to that, but I am concerned that there is some rigidity in the roll-out. I expect that part of the challenge will be making adjustments to reflect what is required locally but, as my hon. Friend rightly says, the super off-peak impact is detrimental to many constituents, so I thank him for raising that.

One of the strongest examples that has been raised with me several times is the family day out. A family in Reigate taking children into London for museums, sightseeing or simply a day in the capital may now find that the day is squeezed at both ends. Outward travel on the old familiar basis is no longer available at the same time in the morning, while return travel is also shaped by the new peak restrictions in the evening. Ministers often speak, rightly, about encouraging leisure travel, public transport use and access to our capital’s cultural institutions, but if a system makes that kind of family journey harder to plan, less flexible or more expensive, something has gone wrong.

There is also a fairness issue between neighbouring stations. My constituents look at nearby stations where these issues have not arisen and ask a simple question: “Why are we being treated differently?”

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

I agree that we need to avoid extra charges and make train fares cheaper. The hon. Lady talked about neighbouring constituencies. Despite Woking being the busiest station in Surrey, we do not have tap in, tap out, which means that hundreds of people a year tap in at Waterloo and, unreasonably, are not able to tap out at Woking, resulting in extra charges. Does she agree that the Government should introduce tap in, tap out fairly to Woking and other areas of Surrey?

[Rebecca Paul]

I agree that we should look to roll out contactless to stations that do not have it, but I hope that the issues I am raising about pricing are taken into account. I hope it is useful for the hon. Gentleman to see the impact that the roll-out is having in Reigate. It would be good if we could iron out the difficulties before it is further expanded. We very much welcomed contactless and were excited to get it, but we did not anticipate the stealth price hikes and their impact. It was something that I really wanted to celebrate locally, but all of a sudden there were these downsides that we had not planned for because they had not been communicated properly. I hope it is helpful for the hon. Gentleman to learn from what has happened in Reigate, and hopefully the Minister will take that on board before rolling out contactless to other stations in Surrey.

Sitting on top of all this, there is an unfortunate layer of confusion. I agree with the Government in their diagnosis that rail fares are too complex and that simplification is necessary. On one level, that is plainly true, so surely they did not intend that the contactless roll-out would leave informed local rail users having to spend time and energy working through the interplay between contactless singles, paper returns, travelcards, caps, discounts, peak times and station-specific exceptions. We have to ask ourselves whether the new system is actually simpler from the passenger’s point of view. Contactless undeniably offers much convenience, but I am concerned that it is not offering clarity or value for money for all.

I gently say to the Minister that this roll-out appears to have been a rigid programme. The correspondence I have seen suggests that operators had only limited room to preserve sensible local arrangements, even where a clear passenger need has been identified. If that is correct, the Department should reflect on whether the roll-out has been too inflexible. National consistency has its place, but so does common sense. We were just discussing the broader roll-out in Surrey, which I hope we will see; there is lots that can be learned and improved on so that other areas in Surrey do not suffer the same surprise and detrimental impact as we have in Reigate.

I would like to ask the Minister four things. First, what can be done for specific cases like Reigate where contactless has caused unexpected problems? Will he step in to help work towards restoring the long-standing off-peak position for the first morning journey, so that passengers are not simply forced on to a later train or a higher fare? Secondly, will the Minister review the impact of the contactless roll-out on passengers who depend on discounts, particularly railcard users and families travelling with children? It is difficult to argue that a system is fully fit for purpose when important categories of passenger are told that the purported benefit does not properly work for them.

Thirdly, can the Department for Transport look into anomalies between geographically neighbouring stations and whether these are forcing passengers to alter their behaviour, including using cars to drive to a further away station to secure a better deal? We are seeing people drive to Redhill rather than get the train from Reigate, which they live closer to.

Finally, will the Minister ensure that when these changes are rolled out in future, passengers get genuinely clear, station-specific guidance explaining what has changed, who benefits from contactless, who may be better off sticking with conventional tickets and how any new restrictions operate in practice? My constituents have very much regretted not having access to that information.

As I hope I have made clear, I support simpler ticketing, modernisation and making rail travel more attractive. Contactless is a gateway to all that, but it must work for all passengers. Regrettably, at the moment we have a system that is leaving a sizeable minority disadvantaged and paying more for less flexibility than they enjoyed before. I hope the Minister will engage with these points in the practical and constructive spirit in which I have made them, and I would be delighted to work with him on finding workable solutions and taking the learnings for roll-out to other stations. Overall, it is a great thing: I very much welcome contactless coming to Reigate, but it would be really good if we could iron out some of the difficulties with ticket pricing.

Oral Answers to Questions

Will Forster Excerpts

Thursday 12th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise this issue. We are working closely with local authorities interested in franchising to identify models that work and to offer them tailored support. We are funding bus franchising pilots that will test the viability of up to five different models and investigate how they can be used to deliver improved bus services for passengers, particularly in more rural locations.

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

T5. Despite my constituency being just 30 minutes from London, my constituents cannot use tap-in, tap-out technology to commute. Will the Transport Secretary agree to back the Liberal Democrat amendment to the Railways Bill to roll out tap-in, tap-out infrastructure across the country, as well as introducing it for my constituents?

[Heidi Alexander]

I can tell the hon. Gentleman that we are already on this issue across the wider south-east. We are expanding the pay-as-you-go system with tap-in, tap-out technology, and further stations are due to come online. I am happy to talk about a further tranche beyond that, but we need to crack on with the ones that are already in the pipeline.

Oral Answers to Questions

Will Forster Excerpts

Thursday 8th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the problems caused by the antisocial use of e-bikes, and indeed of illegal e-bikes. Police already have the powers they need to seize any non-compliant e-bikes and we encourage them to use those powers, as I know they are in parts of the country.

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

One of my Woking constituents is a nurse at Great Ormond Street hospital. Due to her long hours and shift patterns, she is unable to use a return ticket to go to and from work, which means she has to spend more money to give vital care to children. Will the Transport Secretary agree to look into this to ensure that my constituent and other key NHS staff and workers are able to spend less money to support us by having a longer return journey ticket?

[Heidi Alexander]

If the hon. Gentleman would like to write to me with the specifics of his constituent’s travel patterns, I will look into it and come back to him. I appreciate that, for key public sector workers, the affordability of the public transport system is key.

Heathrow: National Airports Review

Will Forster Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

Air quality will be one of the factors looked at through the ANPS review. Obviously, there may have been some changes in baseline conditions compared with when the ANPS was last designated back in 2018, given that the ultra low emission zone is in force now, but we do take the issue seriously and that is why it is one of the four tests.

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

About an hour ago, the Prime Minister did not answer my request for a cast-iron guarantee, so I wonder whether the Secretary of State can do a bit better. My constituency is 16 minutes from Heathrow, yet it has no rail link to our country’s busiest airport. Can she give me a cast-iron guarantee that, if this airport is expanded, Woking will finally get the rail link it needs?

[Heidi Alexander]

Far be it from me to give a different answer from the one the Prime Minister gave. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we will be looking at rail in detail through the ANPS review and the public transport requirements, in order to have an expanded Heathrow with a third runway that operates successfully.

Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate

Will Forster Excerpts

Monday 7th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

We are confirming today that we will maintain the existing CO2 scores for plug-in hybrids instead of using the revised scores that are now being used in the EU. That will be of particular benefit to BMW and the Mini Cowley plant.

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

The car industry will be hardest hit by Trump’s tariffs, as my constituency knows better than most; our single largest employer, McLaren, sells 42% of its product to the US. Will the Minister consider retaliatory tariffs, particularly against Tesla, to protect British jobs and show that tariffs have consequences?

[Heidi Alexander]

McLaren will, of course, benefit from the exemption we have announced today for small and micro manufacturers. We are considering our position regarding the imposition of tariffs, and the Business Secretary is consulting industry on future steps. I would say, however, that an escalating trade war is not in anyone’s best interests.

Oral Answers to Questions

Will Forster Excerpts

Thursday 13th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Simon Lightwood]

The accessibility of all modes of transport is extremely important to this Government. I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this matter further.

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

Despite my constituency being only a stone’s throw from Heathrow, we have no direct rail link to the country’s busiest airport. Last week, Heathrow Southern Railway submitted a business case to the Government. When will the Government consider it, to ensure that my constituents can get a train to Heathrow?

[Heidi Alexander]

Alongside the question of how many planes should take off and land at Heathrow, there is the critical question of how people get to the airport. The hon. Gentleman makes an important point, and I would be happy to discuss it further with him.

Oral Answers to Questions

Will Forster Excerpts

Thursday 21st November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lilian Greenwood]

Of course, I recognise that Branston bridge is a vital part of Staffordshire county council’s road network, linking communities and businesses in my hon. Friend’s constituency. In addition to the £500 million of maintenance funding that the Chancellor announced in the Budget, there is also £650 million of transport funding outside city regions next year. Full detail on how that funding will be allocated will be confirmed in due course.

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

Several key roads in my constituency are either closed or partially closed for roadworks, which are being done by utility companies who are increasingly getting around road permits by declaring an emergency. Will the Minister look into that to ensure that utility companies use emergency powers only when absolutely necessary?

[Lilian Greenwood]

The hon. Member raises a really important point about the disruption of roadworks. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that we mitigate those problems and deal with them exactly as he said.

Cost of Rail Fares

Will Forster Excerpts

Thursday 10th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

I wish to address the deeply concerning issue of rising rail fares, which are having a profound impact on my constituents in Woking and, indeed, on commuters across the country. Since 2019, the cost of a season ticket from Woking to Waterloo has increased by £773—it now stands at an astonishing £4,516. When people are struggling with the cost of living crisis, these eye-watering fare rises are not only unfair, but counterproductive. If we are serious about promoting economic growth and tackling climate change, we must make public transport an affordable and attractive option for everyone. Instead, rail travel has become a luxury that many are finding they can no longer afford, ironically risking debt to earn a living. That is not acceptable.

Worse still, these rising costs come alongside an increasingly unreliable service. A freedom of information request revealed that more than 55,000 rush-hour trains were either partially or fully cancelled last year. That was a 10% rise on the year before and the worst record since 2019. UK passengers are being railed with a terrible ask: to pay more for a deteriorating service. That is just not something I am willing to get on board with. We need to get back on track and secure a fair deal for passengers.

But this is not just about rail fares. One of my new constituents, Joanna from West Byfleet, shared her experience of the unsafe conditions at West Byfleet station’s car park, where inadequate lighting and overgrown vegetation have created an isolated and unsafe environment at night. Despite multiple complaints to South Western Railway, little has been done to improve the conditions. That is just one of many examples where passengers are being let down, and that is extra to the issue of cost.

I want to highlight the plight of Katie, another Woking constituent who has voiced her frustration at the lack of fast trains from Woking that stop at Clapham Junction during peak hours. After the 7.13 am service, there is a gap of over 90 minutes without fast trains stopping at Clapham—a key station on our network—forcing commuters like Katie to take longer and more expensive routes. Those are not isolated incidents or examples; they are part of a broader pattern of neglect that commuters across our communities face.

Now is the time for the Government to act. The Liberal Democrats and I are calling for an immediate freeze on rail fares, which would save commuters in Woking £140 a year, and I am sure that it would save commuters across the country similar sums. That policy is not only affordable but necessary. Rail fares should not continue to rise while services decline.

Do hon. Members see where I am going with this? We need long-term reform. The current ticketing system is fragmented and confusing, with passengers left paying more for less. We need a simplified, fair and affordable fare structure that works for everyone. I am aware of the Government’s nationalisation plans and the Bills before the House as well as the creation of Great British Rail, but ultimately people are not interested in whether trains are run by private companies or public ones. My constituents want trains that are affordable, safe and reliable. The Conservative Government’s failure to deliver on that has left commuters in Woking and beyond paying the price of Tory chaos. There are no Conservative Members in the Chamber to argue with me, which shows how little they care about the issue. Let us ensure that we do not repeat in this Parliament the mistakes that the Conservatives made.

Next year will be the 200th anniversary of our railways. We have a real opportunity to freeze rail fares and make 2025 the year we give passengers a fair deal.

[Several hon. Members rose—]