NCL - CDF .. It's amazing how prices vary between ticket sites

[Willie Bee]

I intend booking a single journey for my wife and I from Newcastle to Cardiff shortly.

Reasonable priced tickets are still not available for the date in question, but I had a quick look though, to get an idea of prices .. we would probably be travelling on a Saturday, at about lunchtime.

I'll be using the RailUK site, but looked a the Trainline too, just to make sure there wasn't a better deal. (Two adults, with senior railcards)

Wow ! The price difference is amazing .. see the images

What's going on ?

For the same trip, Rail UK price is £87 and Trainline £278.80 (and they even comment that this includes a saving of £127.40)

 

[wilbers]

Oddly enough, on that day the 1340 on trainline is less than RailUK (£59.70 vs. £67.42 for one person, without railcard).

 

[MotCO]

I intend booking a single journey for my wife and I from Newcastle to Cardiff shortly.

Reasonable priced tickets are still not available for the date in question, but I had a quick look though, to get an idea of prices .. we would probably be travelling on a Saturday, at about lunchtime.

I'll be using the RailUK site, but looked a the Trainline too, just to make sure there wasn't a better deal. (Two adults, with senior railcards)

Wow ! The price difference is amazing .. see the images

What's going on ?

For the same trip, Rail UK price is £87 and Trainline £278.80 (and they even comment that this includes a saving of £127.40)

Is RailUK using split tickets?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The RailUK/Trainsplit £87 is via Carlisle and Crewe (Northern/Avanti/TfW) and has picked up three cheap advances (the Crewe-Cardiff is actually 1st class!).
The Trainline option has the same trains but seems to have got muddled with off-peak single fares Carlisle-Cardiff and Crewe-Cardiff which doesn't look right.
There's only 10 minutes to change at Crewe.
Maybe the advance quota on Trainline from Carlisle is not available yet.

 

[MrJeeves]

Oddly enough, on that day the 1340 on trainline is less than RailUK (£59.70 vs. £67.42 for one person, without railcard).

Looks like the prices have changed since! Two adults with Senior Railcards:

 

[Willie Bee]

The RailUK/Trainsplit £87 is via Carlisle and Crewe (Northern/Avanti/TfW) and has picked up three cheap advances (the Crewe-Cardiff is actually 1st class!).

Just as a matter of interest .. how do you know the Crewe to Cardiff part of the journey is first class.

It seems quite a bargain price ... I wish I was travellng on this date now

If booking through this site, would I be able to select seats for the Avanti and TFW journeys .. I know the NR train to Carlisle doesn't let you book seats, but that's not a problem.

 

[MrJeeves]

If booking through this site, would I be able to select seats for the Avanti and TFW journeys .. I know the NR train to Carlisle doesn't let you book seats, but that's not a problem.

TfW also don't do seat reservations as far as I am aware, but you would be able to for the Avanti portion.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Just as a matter of interest .. how do you know the Crewe to Cardiff part of the journey is first class.
It seems quite a bargain price ... I wish I was travellng on this date now
If booking through this site, would I be able to select seats for the Avanti and TFW journeys .. I know the NR train to Carlisle doesn't let you book seats, but that's not a problem.

If you click "Proceed" on the Transplit grid selecting the £87 fare, it comes back with the ticket breakdown including the individual prices.
You may need to click the down arrow on Your Tickets.
The TfW fare it says is a First Advance at £54.90
The Trainline equivalent, as far as I can see, lists the ticket types but not the individual price, so you can't compare the two sets.

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I don't use these sites myself, but I would expect it to offer reservations on Avanti and TfW.
The TfW train at that time from Crewe (1509) is booked to be a Mk4 loco hauled set, so likely to be plenty of room.

 

[Willie Bee]

If you click "Proceed" on the Transplit grid selecting the £87 fare, it comes back with the ticket breakdown including the individual prices.
You may need to click the down arrow on Your Tickets.
The TfW fare it says is a First Advance at £54.90

Many thanks !

 

[plugwash]

My understanding is that in general trainsplit is far more agressive about finding splits than other retailers.