Imagine a passenger journey where a single app handles ticketing, timetables and compensation for delays, a seamless experience that has long been the aspiration of the rail industry and the current Government. For passengers, simplicity is attractive, and having an all-in-one app can make planning and managing journeys easier than ever. But simplicity does not have to mean limited choices. The real value lies for passengers comes from being able to access a variety of options; finding the best fares and select the best service that suit them.
As reform gathers pace, important questions arise about competition, revenue, passenger growth, and the continued role of independent rail retailers, who have been driving innovation and revenue in the industry for decades.
Independent rail retailers have historically been the engine of revenue growth for the rail industry. From innovative digital apps to sophisticated journey planning tools, these businesses have invested in technology, marketing and customer service, helping passengers plan and purchase journeys with confidence. They have made travelling by train easier, better and simpler. For years, the Government and train companies have benefited from the investment, marketing expertise and talent that independent rail retailers have brought to the industry. Through fostering healthy competition, third-party retailers have drive innovation, reduce costs and boost revenue for the industry.
I was reminded of this recently when I met a passenger who had planned his journey carefully using a split-ticketing app. He had secured excellent value for money by splitting his journey into multiple tickets. But halfway through his trip, his phone ran out of battery. Unable to access his digital tickets, he had to purchase another ticket at the station to continue his journey. It cost significantly more than the carefully selected split tickets he had originally bought. His frustration was not with choice or innovation of e-tickets, but it was with the lack of flexibility in the wider system. The lesson was clear: passengers value innovation and savings.
Split ticketing in this case demonstrates how choice directly benefit passengers. By intelligently combining tickets across different legs of a journey, passengers can access journeys that might otherwise go unnoticed. For many travellers, this can mean the difference between rail being affordable or choosing to drive instead or in some cases, not travel at all. These innovations stimulate demand, grow passenger numbers and generate revenue for the industry.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the passenger experience. The moment a passenger decides whether to travel by train or by car is really important. When a customer begins to book a rail journey, multiple factors shape that decision: choice, value for money and easy-to-use apps. Members of Independent Rail Retailers compete every day to deliver the best functionality, apps and tools, ensuring passengers can have the best rail experience. The innovation behind these tools – from intuitive interfaces to AI-powered journey assistance – reflects decades of research, skill and private investment. That investment has consistently pushed boundaries, modernising Britain's rail retail offer and encouraging more people to travel by train. Value-for-money tools such as split ticketing, fare alerts and personalised journey planning are not accidental features; they are the direct product of competition.
As the industry moves toward reform and the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR), the objective must be growth – in passengers, revenue and public confidence. But growth requires a healthy ecosystem. Working with independent rail retailers, who have invested decades of expertise, technology and marketing into the rail industry, are essential to achieving this. These retailers bring innovation, value-for-money solutions and customer-focused services that complement GBR's objectives, ensuring passengers continue to enjoy choice, flexibility and seamless journeys. Currently, retailers are asking for access to fares, features and data such as Delay Repay and Passenger Assist to help make that seamless experience a reality. Enabling passengers to access services like Delay Repay and Passenger Assist would deliver immediate improvements, creating a better rail experience for all passengers and not just some.
Retailers are also calling for fair and equal competition on the face of the Railways Bill. If one participant (GBR) controls infrastructure, data and in the future also retail's tickets, safeguards must ensure that competition remains open, transparent and non-discriminatory. Passengers benefit most when retailers compete on service, innovation and value and not when the market tilts in favour of a single dominant provider. Rail reform must guarantee a genuine level playing field for all retailers, including any future GBR retail operation.
Right now, there is an opportunity to design reform in a way that brings track and train together while preserving the strengths of an open retail market. By embedding collaboration between GBR and independent rail retailers, and ensuring access to fares, products and features within a fair and open retail environment, the industry can drive innovation, investment and revenue while keeping passengers happy and moving.
If reform is to succeed, it must place passengers at its core - not just in rhetoric, but in market design. Protecting choice, encouraging investment, and ensuring fair competition are not optional extras; they are essential to delivering a modern passenger-focused railway.
Anthony is Chair of Independent Rail Retailers and will be chairing the opening session of the upcoming UK Rail Summit on 17th April in London.
