A south west rail task force is to lobby the government for lower fares and better wi-fi on trains travelling from the region to London Paddington.

The move comes as works at Old Oak Common, linked to the HS2 scheme, are set to delay services between Devon and Cornwall and the capital on the Paddington line.

It will probably mean fewer services too.

The potential delays could last seven years, according to MPs who debated the issue in parliament this week.

Andrea Davis, a member of the task force board and Devon County Council’s cabinet member for transport, is due to meet rail minister Lord Hendy in the coming weeks where she said she will raise the issue of fares and better internet connections.

Asked if she would push for lower fares, she said: “Yes, I will.”

“I find the whole fare system completely opaque and have no idea how the algorithm works.

“We all know it is expensive to use the trains and so I think it is a reasonable ask [to request lower fares].”

Cllr Davis said she fears the ongoing disruption could “destroy confidence” in public transport, and so ensuring journeys could be more productive for passengers is vital.

“We can’t change the fact the Old Oak Common works are going ahead, but let’s make the journey more useful,” she said.

“Our biggest ask of Lord Hendy would be for sustained and reliable wi-fi, given that the technology is there and is used abroad in Europe and the US, but we don’t have it here even though there are British companies offering it.”

Asked whether Lord Hendy could actually instigate such a change, Cllr Davis said that “he can do it”.

“We’ve essentially had a nationalised rail service since covid as the Department for Transport controls what happens, so he would just need to instruct the rail operator.

“And it would be pushing on an open door as I haven’t met a rail operating company yet that doesn’t want to do the best for its passengers.”

Elsewhere, Cllr Davis stated she would also lobby to make sure the Exeter to Waterloo line is well-maintained to ensure that avoidable issues are minimised.

“We know that this line has not infrequently had infrastructure issues, and so I intend to raise this with Lord Hendy to help ensure that all maintenance that can be done, or that they know needs to be done, is done,” she said.

Passengers were also encouraged by Cllr Davis to consider buying Devon and Cornwall railcards, which provides discounts on some journeys.

The average cost of an Off-peak open return on National Rails website from Penzance to London Paddington at the time of writing is £190 (reduced to 126.50 with a railcard), With the average cost of an Off-peak open return from Totnes to London Paddington at around £157.00 (104.55 with a railcard).