Transpennine Secret Fare Question

[gray1404]

Is it true that Transpennine Express have launched tickets based on the concept similar to Avanti Superfare on selected routes?

If so does anyone have the link to book these as I can't find it on the TPE site?

 

[Alex365Dash]

Is it true that Transpennine Express have launched tickets based on the concept similar to Avanti Superfare on selected routes?

If so does anyone have the link to book these as I can't find it on the TPE site?

It is indeed! They’re dubbed Secret Fares instead.

Seatfrog — Train travel just got a whole lot cheaper

Don’t need to depart at a precise time? With Secret Fare, pick your day of travel and choose a time slot, then we’ll get you on board for less. Much, much less.

secretfare.seatfrog.com

 

[gray1404]

It is indeed! They’re dubbed Secret Fares instead.

Seatfrog — Train travel just got a whole lot cheaper

Don’t need to depart at a precise time? With Secret Fare, pick your day of travel and choose a time slot, then we’ll get you on board for less. Much, much less.

secretfare.seatfrog.com

Thanks so much. My intended journey is on there and I've just saved some money.

As they don't confirm the exact train until the day before would I be right in saying they would therefore never confirm you on a train that is a pre planned cancellation?

 

[TUC]

It is indeed! They’re dubbed Secret Fares instead.

Seatfrog — Train travel just got a whole lot cheaper

Don’t need to depart at a precise time? With Secret Fare, pick your day of travel and choose a time slot, then we’ll get you on board for less. Much, much less.

secretfare.seatfrog.com

It does seem a curiously limited list of stations. Not even all TPE-served statins are in the drop down list. Why is that?

 

[gray1404]

It does seem a curiously limited list of stations. Not even all TPE-served statins are in the drop down list. Why is that?

It's basically key routes between cities, point to point, with excess capacity at times rather then every served station by TPE.

 

[TUC]

It's basically key routes between cities, point to point, with excess capacity at times rather then every served station by TPE.

It just seems odd, for example, that Cottingley is included, but Huddersfield isn't.

 

[wilbers]

I was just looking for around here, and it doesn't include trains heading southwards, for Preston northwards the only destination is Edinburgh (and Haymarket). Also doesn't include my local station so I've tried putting Lancaster as a start, and while there are trains from £5 each way under the terms and conditions it has :

3. Break of journey is not permitted, you can only go on the train we book for you.

So I take that to mean can't start/finish short even if on the correct train?

I also note that on a Saturday there is only one train in the 1700-2300 time window heading south from Edinburgh (to stations towards Preston), so for anyone wanting an advance on the 1811, then subject to availability this is one way to do it.

 

[Nunners]

So I take that to mean can't start/finish short even if on the correct train?

I think the idea is, once you've been assigned a train, it's treated as an advance ticket

 

[Joe Paxton]

Is it true that Transpennine Express have launched tickets based on the concept similar to Avanti Superfare on selected routes?
[...]

It is indeed! They’re dubbed Secret Fares instead.

Seatfrog — Train travel just got a whole lot cheaper

Don’t need to depart at a precise time? With Secret Fare, pick your day of travel and choose a time slot, then we’ll get you on board for less. Much, much less.

secretfare.seatfrog.com

I've got no problem with this Superfare type concept, but I don't think TPX branding them "Secret Fares" is a good idea - it could be seen to perpetuates the idea that the railway fares system is incomprehensible to those who aren't 'in the know'.

 

[robbob700]

In 2008 there was a great deal of publicity about rail fares being made "Simple". All tickets were to be named "Anytime", "Off-peak" "Super-off-peak" or "Advance". All the various different names for tickets booked in advance were abolished. I'm sure it was also implied that it didn't matter where you bought your ticket - the same fares would be available. Has there been some announcement that I've missed that this no longer applies, and if so - is this not just reintroducing the same issues that the simplification was supposed to fix - i.e. the general public thinking that rail fares are too complex?

 

[thedbdiboy]

In 2008 there was a great deal of publicity about rail fares being made "Simple". All tickets were to be named "Anytime", "Off-peak" "Super-off-peak" or "Advance". All the various different names for tickets booked in advance were abolished. I'm sure it was also implied that it didn't matter where you bought your ticket - the same fares would be available. Has there been some announcement that I've missed that this no longer applies, and if so - is this not just reintroducing the same issues that the simplification was supposed to fix - i.e. the general public thinking that rail fares are too complex?

2008 was 15 years ago so in terms of being relevant to now it is prehistoric. The issue now is that Government had a 'policy' and they have now scrapped that 'policy', leaving a vacuum. There are arguments both for a centralised site with everyone charging the same fares or for multiple sites and a degree of flexibility over special deals through some sites only, but these require policy decisions which - in the absence of a properly established legally autonomous arms length structure for managing the railways - are made by ministers. However there appears absolutely no interest at all at Government level in making any functional decisions at all right now, it's all about throwing red meat to the swivel-eyed loons or coming up with half-baked ideas and then backing down in the face of organised lobbying. Remember these are the same people tying themselves in knots over deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, so there's no chance of any bandwidth being focussed on mundane stuff like the railways.