Trainline selling misleading tickets

[Hadders]

The solution: scrap day returns and have all returns valid for a month.

It's simple and would remove all confusion, so it would never happen because Railway.

Or abolish returns and just have single tickets. LNER style….

 

[OscarH]

I maintain my opinion from the last thread on this (we seem to do this topic periodically!)

The term Open Return is pretty standard across most retailers, and people use it to buy day tickets in huge numbers every day. The number of complaints we get from people who've bought a day ticket accidentally using it is pretty much zero.

Obvious this is specific to our frontend and how we display it, others may not be as clear and get more complaints, I wouldn't know. But I think the term itself is perfectly fine, and you can include day returns without causing mass confusion with real customers, as is suggested is the case here

 

[Adam Williams]

it is their app, therefore their words

Not their words, and they're required by their license to use the terminology in the industry data set by the fare setter (SWR).

 

[MarlowDonkey]

The term Open Return is pretty standard across most retailers, and people use it to buy day tickets in huge numbers every day. The number of complaints we get from people who've bought a day ticket accidentally using it is pretty much zero.

As Advance tickets are only available as Singles, isn't any Return ticket Open in the sense of not a specific train by definition of it being a Return? In parts of the London commuting area, Returns that weren't Day Returns disappeared in the 1960s and haven't been seen since. One effect is that spitting in London can be expensive for weekend trips as two singles can be required.

There's been a lack of consistent pricing with some TOCs pricing (day?) returns at just 10p more than singles. If you price a return at less than a single, the arbitrage is obvious.

 

[Chiltern 165]

we

"We" being trainline?

specific to our frontend

The Trainline frontend hides dates when you select open return, whilst a normal return option (despite the fact it doesn't even sell normal returns) will show you dates.

we seem to do this topic periodically! ( . . . ) and you can include day returns without causing mass confusion with real customers, as is suggested is the case here

So you see this topic complained about but nobody has issues with it? That is quite the oxymoron . . .

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Sep 2026 ==

In parts of the London commuting area, Returns that weren't Day Returns disappeared

Pretty sure it is the same for many singles - at least if it isn't advanced

 

[Adam Williams]

"We" being trainline?

No.

So you see this topic complained about but nobody has issues with it?

There are many things that get complained about ad nauseam on this forum (as another example, E-Tickets, Digital Railcards). It doesn't suddenly make the vocal minority here representative of the wider public.

 

[Haywain]

The Trainline frontend hides dates when you select open return, whilst a normal return option (despite the fact it doesn't even sell normal returns) will show you dates.

What do you mean by the highlighted text? I'm pretty sure that Trainline will offer the full range of tickets if the appropriate parameters are selected.

 

[mickey]

Merseyrail used to train ticket office staff to ask by default ‘coming back today?’ when asked for a ticket outside the local area. Many TVMs have a screen that comes up asking you to select ‘day return’ or ‘period return’. There’s no reason whatsoever that online retailers couldn’t do something similar whenever a customer selects ‘open return’, if they wanted to help customers to buy the right ticket.

 

[tatitiliti]

It's not just a rail thing either, there appears to be a collective shift away from personal responsibility in society in this country.

This is the reality when you get elected repeatedly and gain popularity in office for not trusting or allowing your citizens to take any decisions or responsibility for their own actions and outcomes - and our gutter media berates and causes a faux outrage storm directed at any Government that attempts to engender any tiny scrap of personal responsibility or individualism.

 

[Chiltern 165]

Quite odd seeing people blaming anyone but the company that has been proven in court for being misleading - the reason the guard didn’t escalate/do action was because I was on trainline

Regardless, I am saying that a button saying “open return” should sell the ticket called “open return” not a same day ticket which is unusable.

 

[Kite159]

Quite odd seeing people blaming anyone but the company that has been proven in court for being misleading - the reason the guard didn’t escalate/do action was because I was on trainline

Regardless, I am saying that a button saying “open return” should sell the ticket called “open return” not a same day ticket which is unusable.

Then cue complaints from people who overpay for a period return when all they want is a day return not tied to any particular train, a concept the DfT don't like

 

[Adam Williams]

sell the ticket called “open return”

This is not well defined across operators. On almost all flows, there will be no such exactly named ticket.

Then cue complaints from people who overpay for a period return when all they want is a day return not tied to any particular train, a concept the DfT don't like

This; you can't win however you design it - people will still complain the system didn't read their mind to sell them what they actually wanted.

the reason the guard didn’t escalate/do action was because I was on trainline

I find the attitude of frontline staff towards Trainline to be very odd at the best of times, particularly when it's a TOC that uses a Trainline whitelabel for their own retail website and app!

There are far too many "urban legends" about Trainline e.g. "making up trains that don't exist".

I don't think they're flawless by any measure, but I think their share of the market means that most passengers who don't read what they're buying are statistically most likely to have purchased from Trainline.

 

[Hadders]

Regardless, I am saying that a button saying “open return” should sell the ticket called “open return” not a same day ticket which is unusable.

There is no ticket called ‘open return’ and what this thread shows, once again, is that different people think ‘open return’ means different things.

This term really needs binning off.

 

[saismee]

There are far too many "urban legends" about Trainline e.g. "making up trains that don't exist".

I'd recommend Trainline over TrainPal/Trip or Ubee/Omio! At least Trainline's interface is pretty good.

A tool is only as good as the person using it... and most people using these apps are shockingly dumb. My main issue is people relying on the platform number on the app as their one true source of info, then being annoyed by a short-notice platform alteration that they didn't listen to.

 

[Chiltern 165]

There is no ticket called ‘open return’ and what this thread shows, once again, is that different people think ‘open return’ means different things.

This term really needs binning off.

Check post three…

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

I'd recommend Trainline over TrainPal/Trip or Ubee/Omio! At least Trainline's interface is pretty good.

A tool is only as good as the person using it... and most people using these apps are shockingly dumb. My main issue is people relying on the platform number on the app as their one true source of info, then being annoyed by a short-notice platform alteration that they didn't listen to.

Every rail passenger should be expected to have industry level knowledge, and anybody who doesn’t is shockingly dumb.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Check post three…

That's a symptom, not a cause.

There's no type of ticket called an 'open return'. So Trainline are able to say 'open return' without being tied down by any pesky definition. The problem is that their customers assume that there is a definition.

 

[saismee]

Every rail passenger should be expected to have industry level knowledge, and anybody who doesn’t is shockingly dumb.

Listening to announcements in a train station is not industry-level knowledge.

 

[Chiltern 165]

That's a symptom, not a cause.

There's no type of ticket called an 'open return'. So Trainline are able to say 'open return' without being tied down by any pesky definition. The problem is that their customers assume that there is a definition.

Quite. Their app very much implies there is a definition, at-least for SWR tickets.

 

[Adam Williams]

Quite odd seeing people blaming anyone

Reading customer support queries from the Great British public will do this to you. The customer is not always right. It's not a majority, it's a small minority - but they waste colossal amounts of time and I have no idea how some of them get out of bed in the morning.

Check post three…

You need to stop assuming people in this thread haven't read through it or are otherwise unfamiliar with this issue.

Post 3 is one TOC-specific ticket type on a handful of flows. It really doesn't prove the point you think it does.

 

[Chiltern 165]

Listening to announcements in a train station is not industry-level knowledge.

Perhaps I misinterpreted you, I thought you meant purchasing the absolute correct ticket.

 

[Hadders]

Check post three…

That is not an official rail industry named ticket. That’s a ticket retailer doing their own thing.

As I’ve said a couple of times already the term ‘open return’ is confusing, different people think it means different things and the term really needs confining to history.

 

[saismee]

Perhaps I misinterpreted you, I thought you meant purchasing the absolute correct ticket.

I was replying to someone talking about how Trainline is always said to be terrible.

 

[Chiltern 165]

Post 3 is one TOC-specific ticket type on a handful of flows

Industry level knowledge.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

That is not an official rail industry named ticket. That’s a ticket retailer doing their own thing.

As I’ve said a couple of times already the term ‘open return’ is confusing, different people think it means different things and the term really needs confining to history.

I agree, particularly when certain TOCs/ticket retailers add to the confusion like that. Hopefully GBR will try to fix this..

 

[Haywain]

I'd recommend Trainline over TrainPal/Trip or Ubee/Omio! At least Trainline's interface is pretty good.

That's just your opinion. The joy of having multiple options for apps and websites is that people can use the one they feel most comfortable using. I find for purchases on the go the TrainPal app is very easy to use. On the other hand, in the near future I will have the 'joys' of being able to buy tickets through the RSTL site for a few weeks.

 

[tatitiliti]

That is not an official rail industry named ticket. That’s a ticket retailer doing their own thing.

As I’ve said a couple of times already the term ‘open return’ is confusing, different people think it means different things and the term really needs confining to history.

Is ‘period return’ even an official industry-named ticket? Or is it just ‘return’ vs ‘day return’?

 

[Hadders]

Is ‘period return’ even an official industry-named ticket? Or is it just ‘return’ vs ‘day return’?

It's not.

 

[MrJeeves]

That is not an official rail industry named ticket. That’s a ticket retailer doing their own thing.

SWR call their Anytime Returns "Anytime Open Returns" within the industry data, so I think it's a little unfair to say it's a retailer doing their own thing when they have no choice in the matter!

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks, at face value with no fees. Every British rail fare shown, railcard discounts included.

www.brfares.com

Anytime Open Return (South Western Railway) | National Rail

Looking for Anytime Open Return (South Western Railway)? A portal into UK rail travel, including information on ticket purchase and promotions, train times and delays, and more.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

It's a very silly thing for them to do, though.

 

[robbeech]

As with lots of things, if a few people here and there get something wrong or misunderstand you could be forgiven for assuming they’re unfamiliar with the process (some might say they’re a bit stupid but I wouldn’t want to assume that).

When SO many people get it wrong then there has to be some blame attributed to the retailers or the wider rail industry. This thread shows quite clearly that the rail industry is not interested in making things easy for passengers but is very quick to call them stupid and wipe their hands of any responsibility.

 

[OscarH]

As with lots of things, if a few people here and there get something wrong or misunderstand you could be forgiven for assuming they’re unfamiliar with the process (some might say they’re a bit stupid but I wouldn’t want to assume that).

When SO many people get it wrong then there has to be some blame attributed to the retailers or the wider rail industry. This thread shows quite clearly that the rail industry is not interested in making things easy for passengers but is very quick to call them stupid and wipe their hands of any responsibility.

I don't think calling customers stupid is helpful. And I absolutely agree with you that if a large number of people accidentally buy the wrong ticket then there's an issue somewhere.

But we at least don't see a large number of customers having this issue, we see basically none. So we go back to two options - the term is widely understood and this forum isn't representative (possibly because people here are more likely to remember the old ticket type with that name from many years ago), or it's common on certain retailers only in which case I think the problem isn't the term "open return", it's how obvious the website or app in question makes the validity periods (which I don't think is related to the term, whatever you call it you need to make this blindingly clear, this is the rail industry and there's ticket types with any set of validity period you can think of, not just one day or one month)

 

[Haywain]

the rail industry is not interested in making things easy for passengers but is very quick to call them stupid

Can you indicate where "the rail industry" has called people stupid? Genuinely interested to know your source for this.