SMART TR AVE LLE R best rail fares Rail ticket prices can incur high
penalties if you choose wrongly. So it pays to do your research first
S 10 4
implicity is a great benefit of train travel. One can walk to the station, buy a ticket and get on board. However, such ease of travel can be expensive. Te UK’s long- distance TOCs (train operating companies) have adopted airline-style pricing. Tis means you can travel inexpensively, but only if you book ahead and heed restrictions. If you want total flexibility, chances are you
will have to pay dearly for it. Since our rail system was privatised
in the 1990s, train fares have become as complicated as their airline counterparts. Transport Focus, the government watchdog for transport users, is currently (since July) running a public consultation regarding rail fares (
britainrunsonrail.co.uk). Tis consultation ends this month, on September 10. Te watchdog says the current
tariffs have developed over 25 years with layers of regulation. Tere are now more than 55 million rail fare options in the UK. Such a complex fare system needs updating.
P ICK Y OUR FAR E Tere are three main fare types for rail travel: ◆Normal anytime (first class, or standard single or return);
◆Normal off-peak (usually for return standard class; one-way offers only a £1 saving);
◆Advance (first or standard single only). How these tariffs are applied vary from TOC to TOC, route
to route and even the direction of travel. For example, there are different peak/off-peak periods depending on whether you travel to or from the capital. Prices vary wildly, but taking a recent day on the Virgin Trains’
London-Manchester route as an example, I found a peak standard- class return costing £338, while the off-peak cost just £86.90; the same journey in first class costs £484 and £300 respectively. Peak
SEP T E M B ER 2 0 18 Finding the
hour rail fares linking major destinations in the UK can be as costly as a many transatlantic economy excursions. In contrast, the Advance fares for first and standard class journeys
offer significant savings. Te prices vary depending on time of day, and day of week. Te main advantage is that you can buy one-way tickets (return cost is simply double this). So the day-trip executive heading to Manchester (and not sure
when he/she could return) would travel there with a one-way Advance for £145 and could return on a flexible one-way off-peak tariff costing as little as £43.45, which saves more than £100 on the normal return. Tis arrangement is not possible for Mancunians travelling
to London on day trips, as the peak hours ex-Euston are more restrictive.
NO WONDER TR A V EL L ER S AR E C ONFUS ED Advance fares are the most economical, but be prepared to book before 1800 on the day before travel. Cross Country and LNER need less pre-booking – check with the rail company in question. Although reservations can be changed for a fee, there is no refund
on Advance fares if a ticket is unused. One exception is Cross Country, which does allow Advance fares to be changed without charge – but “only if you meet certain conditions”. Te main one being whether you booked direct on its mobile or desktop website. Several alternative train firms provide better rates. Grand Central or Hull Trains might be cheaper, but if you check their Twitter feeds, you will see that they announce at least one cancellation daily – which equates to a 25 per cent cancellation rate, as they don’t operate many trains. Chiltern Trains is a cheaper alternative to Virgin Trains between London, Birmingham and vice versa.
A TALE OF T WO J OUR NE YS When Business Traveller used to be printed in the West Midlands, I would shun Virgin Trains from Euston in favour of Chiltern’s more economical Marylebone services that took slightly longer (Chiltern now also runs an useful service linking Marylebone to Oxford). Chiltern’s advantage leaving from London is that it has no peak-hour restrictions in the morning. I could accomplish a day trip for a fraction of the Virgin
Trains price and save Business Traveller a huge sum. Even today there is a marked price difference. To Birmingham
Moor Street, Chiltern charges £30.50/£50 for an advance ticket in the morning peak compared to a Virgin rate of £176 to Birmingham New Street, and operates a more frequent service (though the canny might find an £8 single advance leaving at 0754). Tere are now slower West Midlands Trains plying between London Euston and New Street for a normal price of £82 (cheaper in this case because there are fewer trains, and the route is multi-stop). No wonder Transport Focus seeks traveller feedback. Alex McWhirter
bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om
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