LNER to scrap off peak tickets between London and Edinburgh

[Robert Shrives]

Back in the dark bad old days I recall pricing being upped to control demand by pricing passengers off the railway forever - once a person enjoys a private tin box for transportation, even with all the other vexations of road transport it is hard to tempt back  and these latest "exciting" developments of plank  seating, rubbish trains and price increases, gift wrapped by marketeers as "simplification" can hardly impress any generation to use rail as a serious transportation network. A once national resource is truly side swiped into the gutter of irrelevance.    

[KingEdwardII]

On 17/01/2024 at 11:10, Jeremy Cumberland said:

That makes it sounds like there is just one advance fare

There is no one set "Advance" fare - the cost of an Advance ticket can and does vary from hour to hour, day to day and week to week. Try using the NR website/app and see for yourself. I have also found that Advance availability can disappear for specific trains even for the same routes & outside the rush hours.

 

I had a real old grouse with SWR trying to book a ticket for a mid afternoon train on a Sunday about this - I could not book the most straightforward journey using Advance for the hour I wanted to travel, while they were available for hours before and hours after. The actual train itself was only 10% full, I noticed on the day itself.

 

Yours, Mike.

 

 

[Ken.W]

On 17/01/2024 at 05:46, phil-b259 said:

Once again its hard not to believe the DfT hasn't got it in for the railways (and don't kid yourself that this idea was just something LNER dreamed up by themselves....)

 

Indeed.

Aren't Off Peak Tickets regulated fairs? Which, AIUI, means that any change to them can only come from higher up

[woodenhead]

LNER not to implement Minimum Service Levels during strikes, Drivers call off a 5 day action

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68054064

[Mallard60022]

15 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

LNER not to implement Minimum Service Levels during strikes, Drivers call off a 5 day action

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68054064

Interesting as they are an OLR outfit. Is this the Operators actually telling the Operators what they are having to do, rather than the Franchise type Op's such as Avanti, being told they have to deal with the Unions?

I've given up trying to fathom what the DFT are actually smoking. 

Phil

[The Stationmaster]

48 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Interesting as they are an OLR outfit. Is this the Operators actually telling the Operators what they are having to do, rather than the Franchise type Op's such as Avanti, being told they have to deal with the Unions?

I've given up trying to fathom what the DFT are actually smoking. 

Phil

I see elsewhere on the 'net that in addition to the upcoming promised round of ASLE&F unpaid days off. LNER is to be honoured by a 5 day strike of the driving, or not, fraternity.

 

This poses an interesting question in my mind.  Of someone has pre-bought an outward single ticket. and it is g h accepted by another operator they get to where they are going but then try to buy a single back in the homeward direction suring the strike.  So are LNER going to sell tickets when they have no trains and/or would any other operator be bound to accept a ticket bought for a journey the passenger knew - at the time of purchase - could not be made.  If i was the other operator I'd be inclined to tell the passenger to buya  ticket via my route as that is the only way you can get home. 

[Jeremy Cumberland]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

I see elsewhere on the 'net that in addition to the upcoming promised round of ASLE&F unpaid days off. LNER is to be honoured by a 5 day strike of the driving, or not, fraternity.

 

It's been called off now that LNER have agreed not to enforce minimum service levels on "ordinary" strike days.

 

I think that this is the first time the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 has been tested.

[njee20]

On 17/01/2024 at 09:21, Hal Nail said:

A few years back they claimed to have simplified tickets to make it easier for travellers. As far as I could tell that was a classic case of announcing something without actually doing anything. If anything it's got worse.

 

A day return from Alton to Clapham junction is £35.60 anytime, £30.90 off-peak or £23 evening out (out after 1pm, return avoiding evening rush hour).

 

A day return from Clapham to Alton is £22 anytime or £21.60 off peak.

 

So someone getting up early enough in Clapham, can travel back towards London having paid 22, on the same train as someone setting out from Alton, having paid 35.

 

I thought public transport users from Clapham were supposed to be very average!

 

 

Forgive me quoting an older (and only tangentially related) post, but Alton is somewhat anomalous! I live in Billingshurst, in deepest, darkest Sussex. An anytime return to Clapham is £42. A pair of singles (peak/off peak) is £34. An anytime return to Alton, changing at Clapham, is £28.80. A return from Horsham, two stations up the line, is also £28.80, but a pair of singles is £42.

 

No one stands a chance... then there's the fact that a return to London Terminals is £52, whilst an anytime return to Potters Bar, via London and including the tube, is £36.