2015 Fares general discussion

[jkdd77]

Taken from http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=106846&page=9

Some, but not all, 2015 fares are now available here: http://trainscanbecheaper.info/FareIncrease.aspx
and I thought the general topic of 2015 fares deserved its own thread.

I'm interested in buying some walk-up tickets now for travel in 2015.

When is the last day at which I can do so at 2014 prices?

Does anyone have any thoughts on the 2015 fares more generally?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I note that some of the heftiest increases are Chiltern SDR fares - some of them doubling. Though I expect this might be something to do with the introduction of restrictions - presently the SDR is cheaper than the SVR on the fares being affected, and the SVR is unrestricted on trains out of Marylebone.

Neil

 

[bb21]

I believe that new fares are released on the 5th, so the last day to buy at 2014 prices appears to be 4th.

Obviously to be safe, I would do so early next week if I were you.

 

[JonathanH]

No London travelcard fares in the system yet.

Presumably the announcements from each operator on fare rises are due this week and we will know the impact of the London peak / off-peak changes on out-boundary travelcards.

 

[CallySleeper]

I believe that new fares are released on the 5th, so the last day to buy at 2014 prices appears to be 4th.

Obviously to be safe, I would do so early next week if I were you.

5th of what month.

 

[bb21]

5th of what month.

December

 

[Goatboy]

£73 now for my regular return journey (Offpeak Return), another increase. With the recent fuel price falls it's £40 return in the car (Devon to Worcester). It's getting so hard to justify continued use of rail with those numbers.

I use the train as much as I can but when the fare on my most regular route is set by Cross Country it becomes ever more difficult to justify.

 

[Kite159]

Is it just me or is the link to the trains can be cheaper site not working?

 

[infobleep]

No I found the same thing earlier and still not working now.

 

[higthomas]

Is it just me or is the link to the trains can be cheaper site not working?

No I found the same thing earlier and still not working now.

Same, it seems the whole website is down.

 

[JonathanH]

No London travelcard fares in the system yet.

Presumably the announcements from each operator on fare rises are due this week and we will know the impact of the London peak / off-peak changes on out-boundary travelcards.

Now that new fares are loaded to National Rail Enquiries, we know that for 2015, Epsom to London Zones 1-6 is priced at:

Off-peak Southern only £10.50 (was £10.30)
Off-peak Any permitted £12.70 (was £12.30)
Anytime Southern only £18.00 (was £17.60)
Anytime Any permitted £18.90 (was £18.40)

The Southern only off-peak travelcard therefore undercuts the in-boundary zone 1 to 6 off-peak ticket by £1.50.

The Potters Bar super off peak weekend travelcard seems to have increased to £12.

However, given the fare structure has not changed, compare the price of tickets such as Reigate to London for travelcard and outboundary return / oyster cap.

Anytime travelcard from Reigate £29.60 (was £28.90)

Anytime return from Reigate to Coulsdon South £8.20
Oyster day cap for zones 1 to 6 £11.70

Total = £19.90 - a saving of almost £10 by rebooking.

 

[FenMan]

Has anyone else found that routeings have been borked by the uploading of 2015 fares?

Someone at NRE has it in for users of Blackwater station. In addition to the existing borked routeings that have been incorrectly programmed into NRE for years, there's more fun to be had effective from 2 January.

When searching in December correct routeings and pricing are displayed; for the same journeys in January many correct routeing alternatives indicate either multiple tickets are required or no price is displayed at all.

From Blackwater, effective January, apparently I'm not allowed to travel to Finsbury Park via Guildford and Clapham Junction (the shortest route with a cross-London transfer).
Nor can I travel via Reading into Paddington (a mapped route using Any Permitted tickets).
Nor can I travel to various south London stations via Redhill (mapped route).

Fortunately Mixing Desk sites continue to return the correct routeings and prices for journeys in January onwards.

*sigh*

NRE have also messed up routeings from Farnborough (Main). According to NRE, from 2 January the only route from Farnborough (Main) to Dover Priory where a single ticket is offered is via via Guildford, Redhill and Tonbridge. Oh dear.

 

[Hadders]

Lichfield City-Lichfield Trent Valley annual season is up by a whopping 33% to £144

 

[AM9]

Now that new fares are loaded to National Rail Enquiries, we know that for 2015, Epsom to London Zones 1-6 is priced at:

Off-peak Southern only £10.50 (was £10.30)
Off-peak Any permitted £12.70 (was £12.30)
Anytime Southern only £18.00 (was £17.60)
Anytime Any permitted £18.90 (was £18.40)

The Southern only off-peak travelcard therefore undercuts the in-boundary zone 1 to 6 off-peak ticket by £1.50.

The Potters Bar super off peak weekend travelcard seems to have increased to £12.

However, given the fare structure has not changed, compare the price of tickets such as Reigate to London for travelcard and outboundary return / oyster cap.

Anytime travelcard from Reigate £29.60 (was £28.90)

Anytime return from Reigate to Coulsdon South £8.20
Oyster day cap for zones 1 to 6 £11.70

Total = £19.90 - a saving of almost £10 by rebooking.

Similarly, St Albans Off peak Zones 1-6 Travelcard up from £17.00 to £17.50 and Super Off peak from £12.00 to £12.50.
could have been worse considering most of their validity are within the zones where Boris has raised the off peak TC (sold as Visitor Oyster Card) to £12.00.
In fact, I can't see the point of buying a travelcard from TfL as the price of one bought from Elstree & Borehamwood is just £7.90 (unless I've misunderstood the fares quoted by NRE).

 

[Cletus]

I've just done a search for Dover Priory to St Pancras same day return with a Network Railcard for Saturday 24th January and cost is £19.80.

In comparison the same journey tomorrow would be £25.55.

What's happened there?

 

[alex17595]

Upper Warlingham First off peak day TC has gone up from £13.30 to £18 ouch.

 

[greatkingrat]

Similarly, St Albans Off peak Zones 1-6 Travelcard up from £17.00 to £17.50 and Super Off peak from £12.00 to £12.50.
could have been worse considering most of their validity are within the zones where Boris has raised the off peak TC (sold as Visitor Oyster Card) to £12.00.
In fact, I can't see the point of buying a travelcard from TfL as the price of one bought from Elstree & Borehamwood is just £7.90 (unless I've misunderstood the fares quoted by NRE).

£7.90 is the railcard discounted fare, a normal travelcard from Elstree is still £12.

 

[JonathanH]

I've just done a search for Dover Priory to St Pancras same day return with a Network Railcard for Saturday 24th January and cost is £19.80.

In comparison the same journey tomorrow would be £25.55.

What's happened there?

Introduction of a super off peak day return valid on HS1 by the looks of things.

 

[theageofthetra]

Southeastern are also doing cheaper advance fares too.

 

[user15681]

I've just done a search for Dover Priory to St Pancras same day return with a Network Railcard for Saturday 24th January and cost is £19.80.

In comparison the same journey tomorrow would be £25.55.

What's happened there?

Introduction of a super off peak day return valid on HS1 by the looks of things.

Indeed, as I posted here... http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1974043&postcount=1861

----------------

Edit: Actually, a little article on the site about it too.

http://www.southeasternrailway.co.u...ns-for-more-than-a-million-off-peak-journeys/

Southeastern today announced a freeze on super off peak fares for 2015 that will cut the cost of more than one million off peak journeys for passengers in Kent and East Sussex. The company is also making the special fares available on more routes, including Britain’s only high speed service, which runs from Kent into London.

The new expanded offer means that the cost of a return off peak journey between Margate and London is cut from £32.90 to £22.40 – a 32 percent price reduction.

The train operator also announced it will offer Advance fares for the first time in 2015 – allowing customers a discount by pre-booking off peak fares via the Southeastern website.

The news follows the Chancellor’s announcement that regulated rail fares for 2015 will increase by 2.5 percent. The overall average increase in regulated (season ticket) and unregulated (off peak) fares on the Southeastern network will be below inflation and limited to 2.2 percent.

 

[Clip]

Indeed, as I posted here... http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1974043&postcount=1861

----------------

Edit: Actually, a little article on the site about it too.

The new expanded offer means that the cost of a return off peak journey between Margate and London is cut from £32.90 to £22.40 – a 32 percent price reduction.

http://www.southeasternrailway.co.u...ns-for-more-than-a-million-off-peak-journeys/

That is one hell of a good price cut. I know friends down there who will be more inclined to come visit now if that's the price.

 

[greatkingrat]

I can't see any Southeastern advance fares at the moment. Or do they mean they will be introducing them at some point later in 2015?

 

[Greeby]

Main change on the Northampton line is Off-Peak Day Returns to Euston/Travelcard either rising or falling in order to even out the prices, which had become uneven after years of keeping the price down. Only thing is, Wolverton's fare will fall £4 to £19.50, and Milton Keynes Any Permitted fare is still £22.50 :roll:

 

[AM9]

£7.90 is the railcard discounted fare, a normal travelcard from Elstree is still £12.

Yes I see my error. So Boris's fiddling for votes is costing day trippers to London £3.10 or a 35% increase. Isn't that a bit more than the range for rises or are off-peak travelcards not controlled on National Rail?

 

[button_boxer]

Lichfield City-Lichfield Trent Valley annual season is up by a whopping 33% to £144

Not really surprising given this will become the new "ticket to Ryde" for the expanded Gold Card area.

 

[bb21]

I think a marketing trick has been missed here.

Make the Gold Card available for general retail in the same way as other Railcards for £140, then market it as a free bonus for anyone purchasing a qualifying annual season ticket (worth £140). The bold bit being the important part.

That way station usage statistics can be kept relatively neutral.

 

[Deerfold]

Yes I see my error. So Boris's fiddling for votes is costing day trippers to London £3.10 or a 35% increase. Isn't that a bit more than the range for rises or are off-peak travelcards not controlled on National Rail?

In-boundary travelcards are not controlled by National Rail - they are priced by TfL. TfL have said that their average price rise will be 2.2% with the increase in off-peak rates being largely balanced by falls in peak rates. The fairness of this is being debated - there are big winners and losers with this.

 

[jon0844]

Not really surprising given this will become the new "ticket to Ryde" for the expanded Gold Card area.

What happens to SWT when an awful lot of revenue is lost from next year? I never even got to use my season ticket once all year, but SWT got the money (or most of it).

 

[theageofthetra]

Nothing to do with Boris. Lib Dems in the London Assembly have been pushing for a part time travel card for a while. So off peak Oyster caps have gone and some peak caps have come down. This is all being paid for by the new much higher off peak travel card. Ironically the worst hit are part time shift workers.

 

[bb21]

But the buck stops with him, surely.

He is the one signing it all off.