Return train tickets could be scrapped in a government announcement this week according to reports.

According to reports from The Telegraph, Transport Secretary Mark Harper will reveal a new pricing structure for “single leg” train journeys across the rail network.

This means that customers will have to buy two singles for the same price, instead of a return ticket.

This news is expected to be announced on Tuesday, February 7, as Harper will unveil plans for 'Great British Railways’, a new public body that will see train services and tickets managed together.

This planned public body would oversee most of Britain’s rail travel and would set fares and timetables.

Oxford Mail: Return train tickets to be scrapped in favour of two singlesReturn train tickets to be scrapped in favour of two singles (Image: PA)

Return train tickets could be scrapped

The dropping of return tickets would follow a trial by LNER in 2020, The Telegraph reports.

At the time of the trial, LNER said: “Rail tickets can be confusing. We want to make choosing and buying rail tickets simpler and more transparent. We hope this new structure is more straightforward: there are no more return tickets – one journey requires just one ticket.”

It is also reported that the scrapping of return tickets could signal the introduction of digital tickets, such as QR codes, seeing paper tickets become a thing of the past.