Due on later Tuesday but leaked in the UK on Monday, rail minister Mark Harper is expected to make a sweeping statement on the state of the British railway network. There is huge speculation that the passenger ticketing system will be radically changed, with the possibility of return tickets as a concept consigned to the fare box in the sky. The statement will be made against a backdrop of revenue from fares apparently permanently reduced as a result of long-term changes in travel patterns since the pandemic.