Byway has opposed the proposal from the Office of Rail and Road to allow rail operators in Great Britain to curtail the release of advance timetable information, which it says will make booking train travel harder – thus scuppering the industry’s sustainability initiatives in promoting rail travel over air travel.
 
Eurostar services to and from Britain are open for booking up to 330 days in advance, and most European operators open services for booking six months in advance.
 

In order to reduce the amount the country relies on air travel for holidays, Byway said, the government needs to make booking train travel "easier, not harder".

"The proposal to reduce the booking window for UK rail not only hinders planning holidays within Great Britain, it also makes it significantly harder to cater for international visitors coming to the UK," the firm added.

Advance bookings, it continued, will allow travellers to secure accommodation options and not suffer expensive last minute booking prices.
  
Cat Jones, founder and chief executive of Byway, said from a climate perspective, it is "vital" rail can compete with air travel.

"Domestic flights generate roughly 80% more greenhouse gases than an equivalent train, so enabling people to travel by train is essential in order for the UK to reach its climate targets," she added.