UK: Passengers to pay billions more as rail capacity expands

Farepayers will nearly double their contribution to the cost of running the railways by the middle of the next decade, the government said yesterday.

A big expansion in rail capacity, including 1,300 new carriages and an overhaul of the worst bottlenecks, formed the core of a five-year plan for the railways announced yesterday. However, the government confirmed a shift in policy by stating that passengers will foot three-quarters of the cost of operating the rail network, an increase from
At present fares account for around half the spending on railways, amid discontent over whether prices represent value for money. The rail minister, Tom Harris, said it was sensible that the farepayer should make an increased contribution. Yesterday’s spending announcement confirmed that the government plans to reduce its subsidy from