- Conference
- 2025 National Retired Members Conference
- Date
- 19 June 2025
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference welcomes the ongoing renationalisation of the railway companies. Scotrail has been in public ownership since 2022 and LNER since 2018. As contracts end all private rail companies will merge to re-form British Rail. Conference expects national rail will once more operate in the interests of the people and not for private shareholders. Among the benefits should be the opportunity to extend concessionary rail travel for the over-60s to the whole network.
In doing so the UK would join a number of other European countries such as Spain, Italy, Norway and the Czechia that already provide concessionary rail travel for the over 60’s, recognising the benefits it brings for older people by;
• allowing them to remain active,
• enabling them to remain in or take up in employment,
• facilitating older people in carrying out caring responsibilities,
• assisting older people on low incomes,
• supporting a viable rail network,
Conference therefore calls on the National Retired Members Committee to press the case for national pensioner rail concessions through all possible channels within UNISON, UNISON Labour Link and in the wider Labour Movement, including the TUC the STUC and the devolved governments.