March fare increases - where to find them?

[MikeWh]

All systems should be selling fares for future travel at current rates, and any that are not reflect a failure on the part of suppliers.

Weekly and period travelcards are being sold online on the TfL website at the new rates if the start date is after Tuesday.

 

[furgus2]

Yes, if that is the particular fares round in which the tickets are usually increased. They aren't regulated so could increase in May or September as well or by more than 3.8% if the operator thinks they are underpriced.

I‘d been seriously thinking of going off on an All Line Rover next Saturday but now think I ought to make a definite decision on Monday and if going ahead with it, buy the ticket then rather than on the day.

 

[JonathanH]

I‘d been seriously thinking of going off on an All Line Rover next Saturday but now think I ought to make a definite decision on Monday and if going ahead with it, buy the ticket then rather than on the day.

I don't specifically know but there may be a limit on how far advanced it can be purchased at a ticket office. Perhaps buying from GWR online would allow it to be advance dated.

 

[MikeWM]

I bought a 3-day Severn and Solent Rover today at Paddington to start next Sunday (March 6th) and was charged £68.50 rather than the £66 I was expecting (per BRFares and railrover.org) - presumably this is the new price from March 1st, given it is a little less than 4% more.

I assumed the new prices had now gone live. If not, have I been charged more than I should have been?

I also need to buy another rover for the end of March. If I do that tomorrow, should I be charged the current price? And if not, should I complain?

Either way, this seems a very unsatisfactory way of doing things.

 

[Jason12]

Coincidentally, I purchased an 8 in 15 day version of the same Severn & Solent rover today, dated 15th - 29th March. I got it on the GWR website, which means I will get the paper ticket by 1st class post. Although it's for travel after the fares rise, I paid the current fare (£58.40, with railcard discount)

 

[gray1404]

Current prices should be charged until the last day of the month and this includes for any future travel. If anyone has been overcharged they should complain to the train company or retailer that sold them the ticket.

 

[thedbdiboy]

Fair enough (though I am led to wonder why my local bus company is capable of publicising its new fares several weeks in advance but the rail industry seemingly isn't)

It's not too hard to work out what the new prices will be - take the current prices and (in almost all cases) multiply by 1.038, then round up to the nearest 5p.

But yes, it's one of many signs (as if any more were needed) that the railway doesn't really rate customer service as a very high priority.

I've never understood why the new fares seem to be treated as a state secret.

Ask DfT.

I think that this year and last year the DfT wanted to avoid negative publicity seen in previous years; to do this they have:

• pushed back the annual increase a couple of months to March
• prevented new fares being visible/sold until the date of the actual change

The idea is that journalists will have hopefully forgotten about the annual fare increase by March and that even if they do remember, they won't have time to do any research regarding the new fares, and therefore negative publicity will be avoided.

If anyone can provide an alternative explanation, I am all ears, but I am pretty sure the above likely covers it!

For two years running, DfT and Treasury have delayed the fare change decision to the point whereby the fares can only be input and distributed in time for March by suspending the 'advance sale' period. They don't actively prevent them being advertised; rather the delay means that the four-week presale date has to be omitted to shorten the implementation timescale.

 

[miklcct]

I'm now busy grabbing as many tickets as possible for travel in March and April. In particular, I have already bought a few tickets for some long trips including one from England to Scotland, all are on flexible fares.

 

[MikeWM]

Tried the TVM at Ely on the way home. For journeys from Tuesday onwards, it was charging increased prices.

This doesn't appear to have been well-implemented.

 

[yorkie]

Tried the TVM at Ely on the way home. For journeys from Tuesday onwards, it was charging increased prices.

This doesn't appear to have been well-implemented.

Is that operated by GTR? Did you buy the ticket at the inflated price? If so, you could issue a Freedom of Information Act request to ask the DfT what procedures they have in place to detect and prevent this

 

[thedbdiboy]

Is that operated by GTR? Did you buy the ticket at the inflated price? If so, you could issue a Freedom of Information Act request to ask the DfT what procedures they have in place to detect and prevent this

Given that it is the DfT's very own 'procedures' (i.e. creating havoc with the fares setting schedules) that are the root cause of this I wouldn't get too excited in anticipating a helpful response

 

[MikeWM]

Is that operated by GTR? Did you buy the ticket at the inflated price? If so, you could issue a Freedom of Information Act request to ask the DfT what procedures they have in place to detect and prevent this

GA - but no, didn't buy anything then.

 

[OscarH]

Looks like Avanti's ticket office software suffers the same problem, I bought a West Midlands Day Ranger for the 18th March today to try and get old fare, but I ended up getting charged £19.80 not £19.00

 

[zero]

Will the new fares go live on websites and apps at midnight, or later in the morning of 1 March?

 

[infobleep]

All systems should be selling fares for future travel at current rates, and any that are not reflect a failure on the part of suppliers.

The TMV at Guildford station had the news prices from 1 March yesterday. I was thinking perhaps the DfT asked them to be added early as there is a war in and newspapers and other media outlets might not report it if it's done now.

Of course, it isn't anything that cynical. Just people and or companies not following the rules. Perhaps they could penalty fare them.

I shall buy my tickets online today instead. From TrainSplit.

 

[APT618S]

I don't specifically know but there may be a limit on how far advanced it can be purchased at a ticket office. Perhaps buying from GWR online would allow it to be advance dated.

You can buy an ALR (All Line Rover) up to 1 year in advance on the GWR website.

 

[HORNIMANS]

GA - but no, didn't buy anything then.

The reason an anglia ranger ticket went up so much, is that it hadn't gone up for several years!
An all line rail rover can be bought at station ticket offices up to one year in advance.
I bought my 2 for the September with Railcard fares at last saturdays fares.
3 weeks ago bought 2 8 in 15 rovers and tickets from where I live to Exeter st davids for last week in March
not at increased prices. I don't know where this no buy before an increase comes from!

 

[infobleep]

I purchased 4 sets of tickets today. Not a massive saving I imagine but a saving is a saving. One was a split ticket and will even allow me to catch up with a friend at the split point, as the final ticket is flexible. How handy.

 

[gray1404]

I'm assuming that websites will not suddenly start showing the new fares at midnight but it will be sometime in the early hours? I assume the same as applies to BR Fares?

 

[Sleepy]

New fares now live on BR Fares site

 

[trover]

New fares now live on BR Fares site

It appears that some advance fares have gone up by just over 8% (old fares are still available on Trainsplit)

 

[infobleep]

I purchased some tickets yesterday to avoid a fares increase but one them, to my surprise, has not increased in price. It isn't an advanced purchase ticket either.

The other two have gone up though.

 

[JonathanH]

I purchased some tickets yesterday to avoid a fares increase but one them, to my surprise, has not increased in price. It isn't an advanced purchase ticket either.

The other two have gone up though.

Some fares are on a May or September increase cycle.

 

[infobleep]

Some fares are on a May or September increase cycle.

How interesting. I know about May and September but had assumed all fares went up it down in the annual increase in addition to changes in May and September.

 

[Kite159]

For me seems to be no change with the super offpeak return fare but a large jump in the offpeak return (was around £27, now £30 with railcard).

The price premium of a "Via Woking" travelcard from Basingstoke (over the any permitted) has only increased.

 

[infobleep]

For me seems to be no change with the super offpeak return fare but a large jump in the offpeak return (was around £27, now £30 with railcard).

The price premium of a "Via Woking" travelcard from Basingstoke (over the any permitted) has only increased.

Perhaps super off peak fares will raise in September.

 

[Kite159]

Perhaps super off peak fares will raise in September.

Most likely, or the hours where you can use them get more restrictive

 

[Hadders]

Most likely, or the hours where you can use them get more restrictive

Or withdrawn altogether…

 

[Kite159]

Or withdrawn altogether…

Probably replaced by those restrictive "Semi Flex Returns" which cost a lot more.

 

[infobleep]

Probably replaced by those restrictive "Semi Flex Returns" which cost a lot more.

If that was the case one would wonder why they even bothered in the first place with them.