To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage rail travel in off-peak hours.

The Department for Transport regulates certain rail fares, particularly where people have little alternative to rail to make necessary journeys (such as season tickets used by commuters). Regulated fares account for in excess of 60 per cent. of all rail journeys made.

Train operators are free to apply commercial pricing to unregulated fares, which means charging higher fares at peak times when trains are full but lower fares to price-sensitive passengers in the off-peak to attract additional passengers. This helps achieve value for money in terms of both passengers carried and subsidy required.