THE substantial downturn in passenger numbers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, allied with the heavy financial support for passenger services of around £800m per month from the Treasury, is likely to lead to cuts in services and cuts in staff.
While the fixed costs of running the railway have remained roughly the same, passenger revenue via the fare box has fallen by 80%, leaving a massive and unsustainable funding gap.
Having made it clear Government support will not be unlimited, representatives from across industry-the four rail unions, Network Rail and the train operators who form the Rail Industry Recovery Group - have agreed to work together to address a future with fewer passengers. The aim is to make cuts of around £2bn.
If and when passenger numbers begin to grow, train operators will look at using existing services to carry more passengers before introducing new ones.