Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the effect of the planned reductions in the percentage discounts for student, senior, services and other railcards on numbers of rail passengers; and (2) the effect of the ensuing increase in fares on the overall cost of passenger railway to the Government.

The cost of railcards has not increased in ten years. This minor revision applies railcard discounts in line with the advertised ‘1/3 off’. We expect it to have a minimal impact on passengers and the cost of the railway to government, given it is not anticipated to have a material impact on revenues or demand.