Advance Tickets - Nonsensical restrictions should be removed

[6Gman]

I agree. The answer to such unfairness though should be loosening the restrictions at the rip-off stations, not restricting the Lancaster passengers. Or just abolish restrictions entirely. I won't hold my breath.

I actually agree with you that Advances are more trouble than they're worth. We have both some of the steepest fares in Europe, but also some of the cheapest. I suppose that it's too much to ask them to meet in the middle.

It probably is because the people whose fares go up will be much, much, much more upset than the people whose fares go down will be pleased.

 

[London Trains]

Personally I think advances shouldn't exist and walk up fares should just be drastically reduced, but there is next to no chance this happens.

Realistically, advance fares should only exist on long distance services, which would be Avanti, LNER, EMR (London to Sheffield/Nottingham only), GWR (only IET operated services), XC (only services using 220/221s) and TPE. Certain journeys on these services should also not have advance fares available, such as London to Milton Keynes or any journeys between Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

 

[Turtle]

Personally I think advances shouldn't exist and walk up fares should just be drastically reduced, but there is next to no chance this happens.

Realistically, advance fares should only exist on long distance services, which would be Avanti, LNER, EMR (London to Sheffield/Nottingham only), GWR (only IET operated services), XC (only services using 220/221s) and TPE. Certain journeys on these services should also not have advance fares available, such as London to Milton Keynes or any journeys between Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Spot on.

 

[6Gman]

Personally I think advances shouldn't exist and walk up fares should just be drastically reduced, but there is next to no chance this happens.

Realistically, advance fares should only exist on long distance services, which would be Avanti, LNER, EMR (London to Sheffield/Nottingham only), GWR (only IET operated services), XC (only services using 220/221s) and TPE. Certain journeys on these services should also not have advance fares available, such as London to Milton Keynes or any journeys between Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

So no Advances Manchester to Norwich or Birmingham to Cambridge?

I've no skin in this game as I never use them but that would upset an awful lot of passengers.

 

[Krokodil]

It probably is because the people whose fares go up will be much, much, much more upset than the people whose fares go down will be pleased.

This is why politicians will never do it. If you reduced 90% of fares and increased the other 10%, you can guarantee which bit the Daily Mail will focus on.

 

[Topological]

So no Advances Manchester to Norwich or Birmingham to Cambridge?

I've no skin in this game as I never use them but that would upset an awful lot of passengers.

Also takes out TfW on trains which run for at least twice as long as London to Sheffield.

As a regular user of advance tickets on the Marches, I do have skin in that game.

 

[WAB]

So no Advances Manchester to Norwich or Birmingham to Cambridge?

I've no skin in this game as I never use them but that would upset an awful lot of passengers.

There probably is an argument for routes which would be considered under BR to be Alphaline routes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There probably is an argument for routes which would be considered under BR to be Alphaline routes.

Agreed, these are the sort of thing that might be IR in CH or IC in DE, and those probably do justify an intercity like fare structure.

What doesn't is Manchester and Leeds commuter services. The idea of Advances on an S Bahn is just laughable - what next - Merseyrail?