Why collaboration is key to the future success of the rail industry
The re-nationalisation of rail and the introduction of Great British Railways represent one of the most significant shifts in the UK rail industry for a generation. With infrastructure, operations, and revenue brought closer together under a single guiding body, we are seeing clear ambition to simplify the system and put passengers and taxpayers first.
However, structural change alone will not deliver better outcomes. The long-term success of Great British Railways will hinge on collaboration across the industry. This is particularly true when it comes to revenue protection, an area where we estimate that fragmented approaches are costing the UK rail system over £1 billion per year.
A reset opportunity
We believe re-nationalisation creates a clear opportunity to address long-standing inefficiencies in the rail system. By reducing contractual complexity and aligning incentives, there is real potential to streamline legislation and create more consistent decision-making across the network.
When we look at revenue protection, it is important that we understand that fare evasion is not confined to individual operators or routes. It is a network-wide challenge shaped by policy, enforcement capability, technology, and passenger behaviour. Without industry-wide collaboration across each area, revenue leakage will remain difficult to control regardless of the governance model.
As it stands, revenue protection is often viewed as an operational function, focused on inspections and enforcement activity. In reality, it sits within policy, technology, and overall delivery.
Legislation defines what action can be taken, ticketing systems determine how journeys are recorded, but data shows us where the risks lie and informs how resources should be deployed. Train operating companies across the industry need confidence that processes are fair, consistent, and supported at every level.
If any of these elements operate in isolation, we risk the overall system weakening. To minimise that risk, open and transparent communication should be encouraged between train operators, technology providers – such as ourselves – and enforcement teams to ensure that revenue protection is effective, proportionate, and understandable to the public.
The importance of shared data and insight
One of the key enablers of collaboration is shared data. Under a more integrated national structure, there is a real opportunity to move away from fragmented data and inconsistent reporting and introduce a clear, shared understanding of revenue risk.
With an industry working from the same information, decisions will ultimately become more targeted, and the outcomes become measurable. Emerging patterns of fare evasion can be identified quickly, resources can be focused, and required intervention can be assessed based on evidence.
This shift will not only enable better enforcement but also greater transparency and accountability, both of which are central to the outlined objectives of Great British Railways and a top priority for the overall rail network.
Supporting staff and maintaining passenger trust
Collaboration doesn’t only impact the wider industry; it also supports frontline staff and helps to maintain passenger trust. For passengers, revenue protection officers remain the most visible point of the system; how effective they are hangs on shared data, consistent governance, and backing from the wider industry.
From a passenger’s perspective, confidence in the system will come from fairness and clarity. When approaches are inconsistent between routes and operators, the industry loses trust. Therefore, a nationally aligned approach to revenue protection reinforces that fare compliance matters and consequences are consistent.
At Raspberry Software, we firmly believe that technology should not operate in isolation but instead form part of a wider ecosystem that connects data, people, and decision-making.
Our focus is on supporting organisations within the UK rail industry to work more effectively together, using insight to inform strategy and enable proportionate, targeted approaches to revenue protection.
By enabling better connections between people, systems, and insight, we can take meaningful steps towards long-term rail equality and a smooth transition to the future rail network.
