EMR Secret Fares

[TheManOnThe172]

I wrote to EMR to ask why they didn't offer Secret Fare tickets from the Matlock branch to/from London. We can of course buy to/from Derby and add a local ticket but this means not only much higher costs (a 60% premium over the Derby fare, whereas flexible London tickets are the same price), but it rules out morning slots to London and evening slots back because you can't be sure that the chosen Derby<->London timing won't be too early/late for a connection to the Matlock branch.

EMR have (eventually) replied: "Our secret fare routes and prices are selected based on demand and are only available on routes where we have advanced fares."

I presume that they mean "Advance" fares (no problem for any of the Matlock branch stations to/from London). But I am very dubious about the truthfulness of the "based on demand" claim. It seems to me that they are offering Secret Fares from every station with a direct long-distance service to London, and from none of the stations that involve a change. I suspect that this is a function of the Seatfrog platform used for delivery of EMR Secret Fares.

Has anyone spotted availability that would disprove my hypothesis? Any ideas on how you establish the demand for a product from stations where you have never offered it?

 

[Llandudno]

Are they offering secret fares from Belper?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Are they offering secret fares from Belper?

Don't think so. The station pairs offered seem to be...

•Sheffield to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Sheffield;
•Nottingham to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Nottingham;
•Derby to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Derby;
•Liverpool to Sheffield;
•Sheffield to Liverpool;
•Liverpool to Nottingham;
•Nottingham to Liverpool;
•Norwich to Nottingham;
•Nottingham to Norwich;
•Chesterfield to London St Pancras;
•East Midlands Parkway to London St Pancras;
•Loughborough to London St Pancras;
•Leicester to London St Pancras and
•Skegness to Nottingham.

Unless mistaken, some of the above station pairs appear to be available in one direction only. Boarding/alighting at intermediate stations isn't allowed.

Presumably this product is essentially offering cut-price standard class advance singles, but where passengers don't get to choose which specific EMR train they're on, just an approximate time slot.

More here... https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/tickets-discounts/choose-the-right-ticket/secret-fare

 

[Trainman40083]

Don't think so. The station pairs offered seem to be...

•Sheffield to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Sheffield;
•Nottingham to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Nottingham;
•Derby to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Derby;
•Liverpool to Sheffield;
•Sheffield to Liverpool;
•Liverpool to Nottingham;
•Nottingham to Liverpool;
•Norwich to Nottingham;
•Nottingham to Norwich;
•Chesterfield to London St Pancras;
•East Midlands Parkway to London St Pancras;
•Loughborough to London St Pancras;
•Leicester to London St Pancras and
•Skegness to Nottingham.

Unless mistaken, some of the above station pairs appear to be available in one direction only. Boarding/alighting at intermediate stations isn't allowed.

Presumably this product is essentially offering cut-price standard class advance singles, but where passengers don't get to choose which specific EMR train they're on, just an approximate time slot.

More here... https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/tickets-discounts/choose-the-right-ticket/secret-fare

Don't think so. The station pairs offered seem to be...

•Sheffield to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Sheffield;
•Nottingham to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Nottingham;
•Derby to London St Pancras;
•London St Pancras to Derby;
•Liverpool to Sheffield;
•Sheffield to Liverpool;
•Liverpool to Nottingham;
•Nottingham to Liverpool;
•Norwich to Nottingham;
•Nottingham to Norwich;
•Chesterfield to London St Pancras;
•East Midlands Parkway to London St Pancras;
•Loughborough to London St Pancras;
•Leicester to London St Pancras and
•Skegness to Nottingham.

Unless mistaken, some of the above station pairs appear to be available in one direction only. Boarding/alighting at intermediate stations isn't allowed.

Presumably this product is essentially offering cut-price standard class advance singles, but where passengers don't get to choose which specific EMR train they're on, just an approximate time slot.

More here... https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/tickets-discounts/choose-the-right-ticket/secret-fare

Effectively only offered on a single train, rather than on a journey that involves two trains.

 

[TheManOnThe172]

I presume that Belper is excluded because it has just one direct train to London: they couldn't offer Morning or Evening options. And if they did offer you a cheap "afternoon" ticket, you would be guaranteed that it was for the 1758 - and so destroy the uncertainty that is the essence to reduce the level of cannibalisation from higher-priced tickets.