What scrapping return train tickets means for travellers

At last: some good news on the railway. According to a briefing provided by the Department for Transport, return train fares are to be scrapped in favour of simplified "single-leg" pricing.

- SIMON CALDER

This should see many one-way fares almost halved. The transport secretary, Mark Harper, is expected to confirm the move in a lecture to the railway industry today. But how will removing the many anomalies in the fares system affect your journey plans? These are the key questions and answers.

What's the problem with train fares?

Many people feel they are too high, and this move should address some of those concerns. More broadly, the rail industry (now almost completely controlled by the government once again), is hobbled with an anachronous fares system.

It was devised in the 20th century by British Rail for entirely different times. Rules have been "baked in" since privatisation that typically make an off-peak single ticket almost the same as a return. Between Durham and London, for example, the off-peak single costs £154, with a return costing only £1 more. A day return from Brighton to London is £20.40, just 10p more expensive than a single.