Aviation and Railways: Costs
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of differences in the cost per mile of domestic (a) plane and (b) train travel; and if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to equalise costs to ensure it is never cheaper to travel by plane than train for domestic purposes.
Answered by Mike Kane
The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airlines’ business models can at times accommodate more flexible pricing than the railway.
The Government sets the percentage that regulated rail fares can be increased each year. Regulated fares make up around 45 per cent of rail fares and include commuter fares, such as season ticket and shorter-distance peak return, alongside longer-distance off-peak returns. The increase in regulated fares for 2025 will be the lowest absolute increase in three years and delivers a fair balance between passengers and taxpayers.
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