The £49 rail pass proposal that would save Cambridgeshire commuters hundreds of pounds

Trains would be a lot cheaper for many Cambridgeshire passengers
-Credit: (Image: Greater Anglia)


Ask people who use trains regularly in Britain what their number one complaint is and quite a few will probably say 'cost'. Railway services in Britain are generally considered to be comparatively more expensive than many other European countries.

Tens of thousands of people use trains in Cambridgeshire every day, with Cambridge and Peterborough being the county's most frequently used stations. The Labour government has pledged to bring the railway franchises back under public ownership - but there are calls for it to go further to get more people using trains.

However, a new report by non-profit transport thinktank Greengauge suggested a subscription style model, charging around £49 per month for unlimited travel could boost rail travel in the UK. The study, commissioned by Greenpeace, follows similar systems being trialled in Europe - including Germany.

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Trains from Cambridge were halted
Tens of thousands of people use Cambridge station every day -Credit:Reach Plc

It recommended the flat fee, with some limitations including the faster intercity services and travel in London. It also suggested the idea of being for travel within specific zones (for instance a Yorkshire zone).

The report said all aspects of its Fare Britannia proposals would be up for discussion, but added: "It is assumed to be priced at £49/month, payable on a subscription basis. As in Germany, it is assumed not to be usable on ‘InterCity’ services.

"Initially, we have also assumed that for travel to and from the capital, in order that Transport for London’s revenue base is protected, an addon Zone 6/all-zone supplement would be payable on a Pay-AsYou-Go (tap in/tap out) basis)."

Would Cambridgeshire commuters save money?

CambridgeshireLive looked at season ticket calculators for a person travelling between Cambridge and various other stations in the county according to National Rail's season ticket calculator. We looked at the cost of a 12-month season ticket for a person commuting between Cambridge and some selected surrounding stations.

All tickets are standard class. Our figures are also on the basis that the Fare Britannia rail pass would stay at £49 for 12 months (for a total cost of £588). We've also only looked at trains between destinations within Cambridgeshire itself (and Royston in Hertfordshire) as London would be unlikely to be covered by the scheme.

Cambridge and Peterborough:

Five days a week: A five-day a week standard season ticket between Peterborough and Cambridge (which can only use trains passing through Ely - i.e. direct trains only) costs £4,340 for 12 months according to the National Rail calculator. The Fare Britannia - at £49 a month for 12 months - would represent a saving of £3,752 saving.

Cambridge and Ely:

Five days a week: According to the National Rail calculator, a season ticket using only Greater Anglia services would cost £1,300 for a year or £1,479.60 to buy 12 monthly season tickets (at a cost of £124.80 per month). The Fare Britannia fare would thus represent a saving of £712 compared to a 12 month season ticket.

Ely Railway Station
Ely Railway Station -Credit:Tom Burnett/Reach PLC

Cambridge and St Neots:

Five days a week: An annual season ticket between Cambridge and St Neots costs £5,108 according to Thameslink (via a change in Luton) - although it is course worth noting there are frequent direct buses between Cambridge and St Neots. Regardless, should you insist on taking the train, it would represent a saving of £4,520.

Cambridge and Royston:

A season ticket between Cambridge and Royston across the border in Hertfordshire is slightly more reasonable, at £1,768 a year for five days a week. Even then, 12 months of a Fare Britannia subscription would represent a £1,180 saving.

Cambridge and Littleport:

An annual season ticket for five days between Littleport and Cambridge is £2,104. The Fare Britannia pass would thus be a saving of £1,516.

Of course, some people mainly work remotely or split their weeks between the office and home. You can look at the deals on offer and how they compare to Fare Britannia for your journeys on their dedicated calculator here.

What's the cost to the railway and what are the benefits?

While obviously these savings would be great news for commuters and other passengers, the scheme would no doubt seriously hit railway revenue. The study states the reduction in annual rail revenue is would be somewhere between £45m and £637m.

However it noted: "This impact would be mitigated if rail demand and revenue took a higher growth path with Fare Britannia, as well it might." It claimed the German scheme - the Deutschland Ticket had seen a 28 per cent growth on passenger use for a 'relatively small' £45million revenue loss, which is less than 0.5 per cent of the country's total rail revenue.

The report added: "In strategic terms, evidence from Germany and elsewhere is that a product such as Fare Britannia has the potential to make a step-change in economic behaviour. For example, it could negate or delay car ownership decisions, leading to more sustainable travel choices in the long-term, with second order beneficial effects on housing and business locations and density."

The report concluded: "As a guiding principle, we believe the proposal in this report for Fare Britannia should be designed to transform the appeal of rail travel taking advantage of its striking simplicity and convenience. We recommend that the Labour Government looks carefully at the benefits of Fare Britannia, noting it represents a unique opportunity to transform the current costly and unloved rail fares system and bring the wider benefits outlined in this report.

"As we have shown, there are useful lessons to be learned from those who have gone first with this concept, especially in Germany and France. So, we recommend a ’look and learn’ approach, designed to smooth implementation in Great Britain. Having done so, it is reasonable to expect that at least an initial ‘regional’ version of Fare Britannia could be up and running within 2-3 years."