Flexible train tickets with discounts for part-time workers trialled as annual fares soar to £5k
PART-TIME workers can now buy “flexible” season tickets that will cut the cost of commuting as part of a trial. It will help regular commuters, who don’t use trains every day of the week, to save money on travel fares getting into work. From today, commuters are forced to fork out an extra 2.7 per […]
PART-TIME workers can now buy “flexible” season tickets that will cut the cost of commuting as part of a trial.
It will help regular commuters, who don’t use trains every day of the week, to save money on travel fares getting into work.
From today, commuters are forced to fork out an extra 2.7 per cent for train tickets, bringing the total annual cost for some commuters up to £4,980 (Brighton to London).
Season tickets, which covers seven-days of travel, are typically cheaper for those who make the same journey three or more days a week, compared to buying a daily, weekly or monthly pass.
But it means passengers are paying for up to four days a week of travel that they’re not using.
A lack of flexibility and high costs have also been blamed for an eight-year slump in the number of journeys made using season tickets, according to independent regulator Office of Rail and Road.
But under the trial, commuters will be given a booklet of individual “Carnet” tickets that can be used on any day.
Passengers who need to make a return journey will also have to buy a separate booklet of tickets to travel in the opposite direction.
The trial is being run by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) meaning that only journeys made on that network will qualify for the discount.
This train line covers the Bedford to Brighton route, and goes directly through London.
A separate trial also starting today will also allow London North Easter Railway (LNER) passengers to travel to Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh from London at half the price of a return ticket.
HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR RAIL FARE
HERE'S how you can beat the rip-off rail fares:
Buy a season ticket – If you’re making the same journey frequently, for example, your daily comute to work, then you may find that it works out cheaper for you to buy a season ticket. But remember, you’ll need to fork out the initial upfront costs before you benefit from the savings.
Book in advance – Network Rail releases its new timetable 12 weeks before it starts, so train companies usually make tickets available at this time. Some operators release them even earlier but the key is to book early. Sign up to Trainline’s ticket alert service to find out when cheap advance fares go on sale for a particular journey you need.
Split your tickets – If you are taking a long train journey, you could save hundreds of pounds by splitting your tickets. A one-way advance ticket from Leeds to Oxford tomorrow costs £99.40. But split your ticket by travelling from Leeds to Birmingham New Street (£60.10) then from Birmingham New Street to Oxford (£18.50) and you pay £78.60. You often won’t even need to change trains and National Rail lets you split your ticket as long as the train calls at the stations you buy the tickets for.
Get a railcard – These can slash a third off the price of some tickets. They cost between £20 and £30 a year. For example, the 16-25 Railcard gives a third off ticket rates for full-time students of any age.
Hunt for cheap tickets – Don’t pay over the odds for tickets — and remember to compare prices before you buy. First, check the National Rail website, which is a great way to get an overview of routes and travel times. Then check RedSpottedHanky and Trainline to see if cheap fares are available. They will usually charge you to make a booking — between 25p and £1.50 — so factor that in.
Currently, a return ticket costs just £1 less than a single journey.
Passengers will be able to buy tickets under both trials online or from their local ticket office.
The trials, which will run for as long as necessary to gather evidence, are part of wider plans by the Department for Transport (DfT) to modernised the railway system.
A fares trial fund has also been set up to compensate operators for any revenue lost as a result of the tests but the DfT hasn’t revealed how the savings for commuters will be funded in the long term.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps says the trials will look into the “benefits and costs of a clearer, more flexible and fairer fares system”.
If the trials are successful, they could potentially be rolled out nationwide but it’s too early to say this for certain.
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Today’s rail fares rate rise, which affects annual season tickets, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys and flexible anytime tickets, comes despite the fact fewer than two thirds of trains were on time last year.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Andy McDonald, says that today’s price hikes mean rail fares have jumped by 10 per cent since 2010.
If your wallet has been hit by today’s fare rises, we’ve put together a round up of all the ways you can cut the cost of your commute.