Split tickets in Trainline app

[mrmatt]

I had a play with this today and it found a split on a 25 minute journey I would never think to try - so from that perspective it will be very positive.

I always look at the split ticketing websites first but do find trying to navigate some of them in terms of selecting a service at the time I wish to be very difficult, and they are much worse for advanced there, flexible back type set ups I generally favour for work trips.

I suspect from playing around it is only looking for splits along the services it would normally return rather than trying to be more creative which makes it more limiting and likely more costly than other sites. But it is mainstream and the interface is straightforward so they will definitely have success and also put the cat amongst the pigeons in terms of fare reforms.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I tried it on the Bentham Line earlier (having already been sold a split by Trainsplit[1]) and it found that, FWIW.

[1] I wanted Penrith to Lancaster via Oxenholme[2], Carlisle, Long Preston and Lancaster - and what I love about Trainsplit is that it will just price that kind of stuff up for me rather than going "ner ner ne ner ner, can't". It also found that a split at Bentham saves 90p.

[2] Gives a journey over an hour earlier than what you get on a Sunday if you don't double back.

 

[miami]

- The rail industry cries foul, says ticketing system is arcane, a mess, needs reform etc. Ticketing system gets 'simplified' but results in price rises through the back door, loss of flexibility, compulsory reservations on inter-city services etc.

This is the end goal

Inevitably this will result in more complaints as people may well end up getting charged again for some journeys, simply because they hadn't read or understood what they were doing.

Including those actually traveling correctly (say on advanced tickets where there's been disruption)

This will increase support for more "simplification", which will lead to increased prices for those who are doing something unusual (like traveling at flexible times, breaking journeys etc)

 

[AY1975]

I presume this facility is only available via the Trainline app, not via the Trainline.com website.

I tried looking up a few journeys on the Trainline website for which I knew that a split ticket was the cheapest option but it didn't offer that option, nor could I find any reference to the split ticket option on the website even though this story on the BBC site only says booking site Trainline.com has released a SplitSave tool without specifically mentioning the app: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51077807

I believe that Trainline charges a booking fee regardless of whether you opt to have your tickets posted or collect them from a machine, unlike most train operators' websites or some other independent third party retailers, so I would guess that in some cases any savings made by booking split tickets may be negated by the booking fee if it's only a difference of a few pounds compared to buying just one ticket for the whole journey.

There are also a number of other ticket splitting websites such as trainsplit.com, but that one charges you a small percentage of the amount that you save as a booking fee.

 

[DarloRich]

- The rail industry cries foul, says ticketing system is arcane, a mess, needs reform etc. Ticketing system gets 'simplified' but results in price rises through the back door, loss of flexibility, compulsory reservations on inter-city services etc.

is the correct answer!