Passengers may no longer have to buy split tickets to get the cheapest fares for some journeys under an overhaul proposed by the rail companies.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the companies, has advanced a new system under which travellers would be charged the best value fare.

It would end the practice where passengers have to buy multiple tickets for different portions of their route often from different companies in order to guarantee the cheapest option.

In one extreme case in 2017, a Newcastle United fan bought 56 tickets to cover a return journey for him and his girlfriend to travel to Oxford for an FA Cup match, saving him £30.

The proposals are contained in the RDG’s Easier Fares For All, which it has submitted to the Government’s Williams Review evaluating all aspects of the rail network.

The RDG said regulations behind Britain's rail ticketing system have failed to keep pace with technology or how people work and travel. There are around 55m different fares due to the jigsaw of individual franchise agreements.