RAIL has been a favoured element of Government spending in the recent past as part of the agenda to have a carbon-zero economy by 2050, which current thinking believes is only possible if there is a significant switch from road to rail use.
To achieve this, however, there is a growing need for substantial funding – not least because travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated a trend to home working rather than having to commute to a central office. However, promises to reverse recent tax increases will result in smaller departmental spending budgets, which is therefore likely to reduce the money available for the railway network.
Rail revenue down
Prior to Privatisation in the 1990s, season ticket travel amounted to 50% of rail passenger journeys and as it was a captive market where fare increases did not diminish demand. But the ability to work from home means that commuters can save a considerable amount of
