To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the losses incurred by rail-card holders who have not had access to (a) rail services and (b) compensation available for loss of service during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered on
24 July 2020
Railcards are sold and managed by the Rail Delivery Group on behalf of the rail industry. While no specific assessment has been made of the losses incurred by Railcard holders, many customers can make back their initial investment with the savings resulting from a single journey, or a small number of rail journeys.
Proposals for amendments to existing Railcard policies are for the Rail Delivery Group to bring forward. The Rail Delivery Group is working with train companies on a number of ways to assist Railcard holders, in light of the current COVID-19 related travel restrictions. Departmental officials have been engaging regularly with the Rail Delivery Group as they consider possible changes to Railcard conditions.