New ‘climate card’ would give unlimited UK train travel for £49

A simplified UK rail pass could be introduced for passengers with a flat-fee for train travel – this is what campaigners are calling for in a bid to slash costs and emissions for passengers

Campaigners have sparked excitement with a proposal for an “unlimited climate card” UK rail pass that would slash the costs of train travel for millions.

Envisioned as a flat-fee travel system, the proposed ‘climate card’ would allow travellers to enjoy nationwide train journeys all for a straightforward subscription. The research – published on Thursday, September 19 – suggests setting the price at £49 a month, with passengers on fast long-distance trains and those on routes in and through London needing to pay a top-up to reflect the greater demand on those services.

The study argues that the extra cost to the government wouldn’t be too high – between £45m and £637m a year, depending on the uptake. The UK rail system received £46 billion of government support since 2020, rendering the extra cash a drop in the ocean.

Greenpeace argues that the climate card would attract many more passengers to the railways and reduce car journeys, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The Fare Britannia report estimated that a climate card covering all the UK nations may generate an additional 122m rail trips a year, which in turn would cut car journeys by 40m and reduce emissions by about 380,000 tonnes of carbon. Cars on average cost £319 a month to run.

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The study compares the potential savings, revealing that currently, Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester season ticket holders fork out £379 monthly. Meanwhile, those travelling between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly or Victoria are billed £260 per month.

Paul Morozzo, a senior transport campaigner at Greenpeace UK, believes it’s high time for overhaul: “Our current rail fare system is far too complicated, confusing and expensive it’s time to redesign it with passengers in mind. A monthly climate card would simplify the ticketing system, save commuters hundreds of pounds a month and cut emissions – a triple win.”

Further support comes from Jim Steer, director of study co-authors Greengauge 21, who suggests focusing initially outside the crowded south-east: “We suggest it would be best to start in the English regions away from the south-east which dominates the nation’s rail use currently. The next step could be for the newly fashioned Great British Railways to be given the task of looking into a climate card as a way of boosting regional economies within the timescale of this parliament.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “This government is committed to encouraging greener ways to travel and improving the state of public transport. That’s why we’re empowering local leaders to deliver better bus services, overhauling our railways to put passengers first and simplifying ticketing to deliver better value for money when taking the train.”