HST274
Member
My weekly commutes price has gone up by 3.2% ending on a nicely rounded number. I know it goes up to 3.8% but does anyone know the average?
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March fare increases - where to find them?
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3.8% is actually the average for National Rail fare increases.
HST274
Member
Really? That is high then wow. What's the biggest hike people have seen?
The peak contactless single fare from Redhill to London stations in Zone 1 not using the underground increased by 8.1%, from £11.10 to £12.00.
I am sure there will be other higher increases. In the past there has sometimes been a posting showing a spreadsheet with the highest increases.
miklcct
Established Member
And those semi flex returns are operator restricted so it's useless for a day out to London / Clapham Junction starting from Bournemouth, Southampton Central, Southampton Airport and Winchester where there are some times the return will be on a CrossCountry.
There tare super off peak returns that are sold for journeys that can only be done by using multiple operators so they couldn't restrict the operator for those journeys.
miklcct
Established Member
The trips involved are done, depending on the departure time, either on South Western Railway only or on a mixture of both operators.
Well, I undertake journeys along lines where no South Western Railway train runs full stop.
In those cases part of the journey is SWR and the reminder isn't, so it isn't the case of no SWR train is taken just that part of the journey can only be completed without them.
SWR would have to remove tickets from sale to restrict tickets to only SWR services.
With it now being GBR, where is the incentive to do that?
Kite159
Veteran Member
I was thinking for someone like me where a super off-peak return (also an Off-peak return) to London terminals is valid into Paddington as well as Waterloo (plus Victoria & all the other South London termini). Validity into Paddington comes in handy whenever there is works closing the mainline around Woking [to avoid the replacement bus] or around Wimbledon forcing the ultra slow tour of Staines.
If SWR decide to replace those tickets with the confusing "Semi-Flex" returns which are valid on SWR only, it removes that flexibility and will force passengers onto the magical bus or on a painfully slow tour of Staines. What sort of fare would be charged if someone walked up to a TVM on the day they are travelling considering the "Semi-Flex" is booked train only for the outward leg.
If SWR decide to replace those tickets with the confusing "Semi-Flex" returns which are valid on SWR only, it removes that flexibility and will force passengers onto the magical bus or on a painfully slow tour of Staines. What sort of fare would be charged if someone walked up to a TVM on the day they are travelling considering the "Semi-Flex" is booked train only for the outward leg.
miklcct
Established Member
Some fares from Bournemouth I use often (with railcard)
to Branksome evening out: £1.95 → £1.95 (+0.0%)
to Poole evening out: £2.60 → £2.60 (+0.0%)
to Holton Heath evening out: £3.30 → £3.30 (+0.0%)
to Southampton Central / Southampton Airport Sunday out: £9.20 → £9.20 (+0.0%)
to Brighton off-peak day return: £15.50 → £16.10 (+3.9%)
to Basingstoke super off peak return: £17.80 → £17.80 (+0.0%)
to Guildford cheapest advance: £7.75 → £7.75 (+0.0%)
It seems that no SWR-set fares have increased at all.
to Branksome evening out: £1.95 → £1.95 (+0.0%)
to Poole evening out: £2.60 → £2.60 (+0.0%)
to Holton Heath evening out: £3.30 → £3.30 (+0.0%)
to Southampton Central / Southampton Airport Sunday out: £9.20 → £9.20 (+0.0%)
to Brighton off-peak day return: £15.50 → £16.10 (+3.9%)
to Basingstoke super off peak return: £17.80 → £17.80 (+0.0%)
to Guildford cheapest advance: £7.75 → £7.75 (+0.0%)
It seems that no SWR-set fares have increased at all.
Maybe look at the corresponding anytime and off-peak fares?
ServerHoster
Member
Avanti has removed their super off peak tickets between the West Midlands and London. The only super off peak fares for Avanti that remain would be between Milton Keynes and London
A shame but to be honest, with only a marginal saving against the Off-Peak fare, and heavy restrictions even on weekends, it was never a particularly useful product.
Agreed. It is the regulated off peak return fares we need to watch very closely. I’m sure Avanti/RDG/DfT/Treasury would love to get rid of them.
They’ll call it simplification and promise a whole range of cheap unregulated Advance fares instead (claiming this is what passengers want), which will be withdrawn at the earliest opportunity.
I see that the March fare increases mean that the Off Peak Return from the South Coast to Edinburgh is now over £300 and the Super Off Peak a bargain £182. Who other than rail industry executives on their rock star wages think those fares are competitive?
If I were Easyjet I'd have advertising on every GTR station!
If I were Easyjet I'd have advertising on every GTR station!
roversfan2001
Established Member
EasyJet's flexible product also comes in at £200+ return on such a route, with significantly less flexibilty than an Off Peak Return. No leisure passenger is purchasing either fare, mind.
Well, I notice that a Normanton - York off-peak day return has gone up from £13.50 to £18.30.
I know the Leeds to York route has always been a price gougers paradise, but how is a 35.5% remotely justifiable. Is Richie Sunak trying to destroy the railway passenger business ?
I know the Leeds to York route has always been a price gougers paradise, but how is a 35.5% remotely justifiable. Is Richie Sunak trying to destroy the railway passenger business ?
Kite159
Veteran Member
And on days of expected heavy demand, and without the price cap of the single fare the likes of Avanti etc will attempt to charge a hefty premium for advance tickets to help 'spread the load'.
Manchester to London on a Sunday evening, that will be £150 please, especially if a London based kickball team has been playing in Manchester.
Isn't that a 'correction' because it undercut the Leeds to York fare? There is still a Northern Only fare at £13.50.
I'm pretty sure that the Leeds - York has been hooked as well. Something like 17.50, compared to 15 Something previously.
I had the LDS-YRK Any Permitted Off Peak Day Return at £16.90 March 2021 prices, so now it is £17.50 so don't think that has gone up by more than the expected amount.
gordonthemoron
Established Member
I was checking Off Peak return from Milton Keynes to Birmingham for this weekend, they seem to have gone up by 50% compared to Fenbruary, Super offpeak have only gone up by about 3.8%. Off peak is valid on Avanti and LNW, Super offpeak is only valid on LNW, the same restrictions applied in February
The difference here is that Avanti have removed the heavily-restricted Super Off-Peak tickets (SSS/SSR) from most of their flows, making Off-Peak tickets (SVS/SVR) the cheapest walk-up option* for their services.
The relevant restrictions can still be found on the National Rail website, at HTTP://nre.co.uk/SN, however.
* At least for through tickets. There may be cheaper options involving splitting.
gordonthemoron
Established Member
Off Peak Return in February about £23.85
Off Peak return in March £35.60
Off Peak return in March £35.60
The WM+LNR fare still exists at £24.50
https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=MKC&dest=BHM&grpd=0418&rte=42&tkt=SVR
miklcct
Established Member
Only if there is a cheaper split at a station where all fastest trains call at it is useful.
Not quite.
In February the prices were as follows:
Off Peak Return £34.30
Super Off Peak Return £24.10
In March the prices are:
Off Peak Return £35.60
The Super Off Peak fare has been withdrawn
The Super Off Peak fare was a relatively recent addition and had very onerous time restrictions, seven days a week.
If you're prepared to limit travel to West Midlands Trains only then the following fares are available:
Off Peak Return £24.50
Super Off Peak Return £17.00
I know the ticketing isn't based on mileage but it is quite amusing how I go from Castleford - Harrogate for £11.00 off peak day return (previously £10.70...although amazing how that rounded up number feels like a lot more than 30p for some reason!) which is the exact same 25.8 mileage as a trip to York (point to point in a car of course)
£17.50 is shocking from Leeds but sadly the likes of Transpenine Express know they can get away with it due to the journey time and frequency advantages over Northern
I travel to wolves every weekend to get my son and bring him to London and take him back on the Sunday.
Open return super off peak was £38.50. Adults Off peak open return is £64.40 That's not marginal, its daylight robbery!!!
Considering I would need to buy two adult tickets this new price makes it unaffordable for me to travel via avanti.
Instead I now need to use London midland which are slow and not even direct and will take the best part of 3 hours.
It's nothing but a stealth price increase!!
I don't see how they can justify removing the super off peak open return when an off peak return is so much more expensive.
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