Train ticket prices make no sense

[Pale Rider]

A cycling expedition later this month means I need to travel one way from Sunderland to York.

Two mates booked a few days ago for £8.50 - very cheap.

The cheapest for me booking today was £10.70, but oddly it's first class.

Cheapest second class ticket was £15.40.

No doubt that will all change tomorrow, if it hasn't already.

Grand Central's website advises those buying a return to check if two singles would be cheaper.

I'm pleased with my price, excellent value, but I do wonder why the fare structure makes no sense.

Supply and demand will no doubt be part of it, but it does seem daft to offer first class cheaper than second class at the same time of booking.

Surely it should be the other way around.

 

[vernon]

Each train has allocations of cheapest, cheaper and less cheap tickets at first and second class. Tickets bought in advance are sold cheapest first for each class of travel. You were lucky to get the cheapest first class tickets which were more expensive than the sold out cheapest second class tickets but cheaper than the cheaper second class tickets if you get my drift.

 

[annedonnelly]

What's crazier is when two part journeys are cheaper than the whole one. I used to buy tickets for Newcastle - Peterborough return and Peterborough - Kings Cross return - all on the same train. It was a lot cheaper* than Newcastle - Kings Cross return and all I had to do was change seats part way through my journey.

* About £50-£60 if I remember correctly.

 

[Markymark]

Seats are sold and unavailable. Seats are free and available. Depends which pile you are looking at.

 

[Brandane]

Each train has allocations of cheapest, cheaper and less cheap tickets at first and second class.

Don't you mean allocations of expensive, rip-off, and extortionate?
Rail fares are the main reason why I still own a car. It's less expensive and much more convenient; even when travelling solo.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

A former colleague's husband used to work on the ticket desk at a rail station; he was a nobber.

 

[ufkacbln]

I travelled to Inverness

Portsmouth to Waterloo - £65 single

Euston to Inverness on the sleeper, with my own room - £19

 

[Brandane]

A former colleague's husband used to work on the ticket desk at a rail station; he was a nobber.

It's part of the job requirement at my local station. Each and every one of them are sullen and unhelpful.

 

[ufkacbln]

I used to have a "secret weapon"

There was a guy who worked at the Student's Union in Southampton and knew the system

You got some weird routes and tickets bur always cheap, you would email him and he would then plan your journey

I remember a trip that was a single form Portsmouth to Southampton, Day return form Southampton to Salisbury, a day return from Salisbury to Exeter, single from Exeter to Plymouth and a final day return form Plymouth to Penzance.

It was however less than 20% of the price of a single from Portsmouth to Penzance

 

[TVC]

A friend of mine (yes I do have some Potsy) is a Barrister and travels to courts all over England by train. Despite his fares being all charged to his cases he likes to play the ticket game to get the lowest fares. He relates that his best result was on a return trip from Leicester to Bristol where he got six single partial journey tickets for less than half the price of a full trip return ticket.

 

[Pale Rider]

Don't you mean allocations of expensive, rip-off, and extortionate?
Rail fares are the main reason why I still own a car. It's less expensive and much more convenient; even when travelling solo.

That's another point about the complicated fare structure.

A tenner to York for me is undeniably cheaper than using a car, but the 'turn up and go' second class single of about £35 is not.

There will be a tipping point somewhere as journey time approaches, but the customer won't know that unless he checks several times a day.

 

[vernon]

Don't you mean allocations of expensive, rip-off, and extortionate?
Rail fares are the main reason why I still own a car. It's less expensive and much more convenient; even when travelling solo.

I am travelling to London next month. The £13 that I spent on rail tickets to get me there and back to Leeds would get me to Peterborough by car. It's one of the reasons that I use the railway for longer journeys - it's cheaper than driving.

 

[vernon]

That's another point about the complicated fare structure.

A tenner to York for me is undeniably cheaper than using a car, but the 'turn up and go' second class single of about £35 is not.

There will be a tipping point somewhere as journey time approaches, but the customer won't know that unless he checks several times a day.

The tipping point can be as late as the night before at least it is when I'm purchasing a Leeds to Darlington or Darling to Leeds single.

 

[vernon]

A friend of mine (yes I do have some Potsy) is a Barrister and travels to courts all over England by train. Despite his fares being all charged to his cases he likes to play the ticket game to get the lowest fares. He relates that his best result was on a return trip from Leicester to Bristol where he got six single partial journey tickets for less than half the price of a full trip return ticket.

He will have time on his hands to do that seeing how long court sessions last. Rumour has it that they don't look out of their office windows in the morning to leave themselves something to do in the afternoon. It looks like your friend uses his free time productively.

 

[Pale Rider]

I am travelling to London next month. The £13 that I spent on rail tickets to get me there and back to Leeds would get me to Peterborough by car. It's one of the reasons that I use the railway for longer journeys - it's cheaper than driving.

Worth bearing in mind.

A car is not a consideration for me this time, but cost is.

Realistically, if it's hosing down come the day, I will duff the trip.

But fears of a high price booking nearer the time have forced me to put a tenner at risk now.

Of course, I could still use the ticket for a bike-free day out in York, but I would still have to buy an on the day ticket to get back.

I could never be a gambler - too much stress.