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New "Simple fares" for rail travel = fare increases for YP holders
I have discovered that anyone in posession of a Young Persons Railcard (and, I believe, a Forces Railcard) is going to be at a disadvantage on many routes by having to pay up to around 50% more for fares departing before 10am on weekdays.
The fares affected are Saver fares that cost in the region of £8-£16, and it varies by route, the deciding factor being the policy of the company that sets the fare (this is not necessarily the same company that you travel with!).
Example routes that ARE affected include:
London Midland area (NOT in/near London) e.g. Liverpool-Crewe, Stafford-Coventry, Northampton-Birmingham, Birmingham-Hereford, and more routes in this area.
Northern area e.g. York-Sheffield, Hull-York, Carlisle-Newcastle, Appleby-Skipton, Macclesfield-Manchester, and many more routes throughout the North.
First Great Western area (NOT in/near London) e.g. Penzance-Plymouth, Cardiff-Bristol, and many more.
Other areas may also be affected.
It does NOT affect local Scotrail routes, or most East Coast routes (priced by NXEC), routes priced by Cross Country (although many journeys that are possible on Cross Country are NOT set by them!) and it generally doesn't affect West Coast routes beyond the midlands but many West Coast routes are not set by Virgin West Coast so some are affected. London & South East areas are not affected.
If you regularly (or even occasionally) purchase a Saver ticket, costing between approx £8 and £16, in conjunction with a Railcard, please feel free to post the details below and I will look into whether or not you will be affected. I strongly urge everyone who is affected to complain to their company, to their MP, to their local press, and to Passenger Focus, as the companies are on record as saying fares will not rise, which I have proven to be a lie.
The fares affected are Saver fares that cost in the region of £8-£16, and it varies by route, the deciding factor being the policy of the company that sets the fare (this is not necessarily the same company that you travel with!).
Example routes that ARE affected include:
London Midland area (NOT in/near London) e.g. Liverpool-Crewe, Stafford-Coventry, Northampton-Birmingham, Birmingham-Hereford, and more routes in this area.
Northern area e.g. York-Sheffield, Hull-York, Carlisle-Newcastle, Appleby-Skipton, Macclesfield-Manchester, and many more routes throughout the North.
First Great Western area (NOT in/near London) e.g. Penzance-Plymouth, Cardiff-Bristol, and many more.
Other areas may also be affected.
It does NOT affect local Scotrail routes, or most East Coast routes (priced by NXEC), routes priced by Cross Country (although many journeys that are possible on Cross Country are NOT set by them!) and it generally doesn't affect West Coast routes beyond the midlands but many West Coast routes are not set by Virgin West Coast so some are affected. London & South East areas are not affected.
If you regularly (or even occasionally) purchase a Saver ticket, costing between approx £8 and £16, in conjunction with a Railcard, please feel free to post the details below and I will look into whether or not you will be affected. I strongly urge everyone who is affected to complain to their company, to their MP, to their local press, and to Passenger Focus, as the companies are on record as saying fares will not rise, which I have proven to be a lie.
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I was told when trying to use a young persons rail card a while ago that you cannot use them before 10am. Kind of makes the card almost pointless.0
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false. you can. ive used a saver return on a 6.40 train outta euston. you can also use it on advance tics aswell.I was told when trying to use a young persons rail card a while ago that you cannot use them before 10am. Kind of makes the card almost pointless.
i even used a saver rtn on a rtn leg on a 7am train.0 -
You can't use any discount card for journeys into London before 9.30/10am..
The trains are full of commuters already, the passes are to get non-commuters onto the less crowded services
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If you regularly (or even occasionally) purchase a Saver ticket, costing between approx £8 and £16, in conjunction with a Railcard, please feel free to post the details below and I will look into whether or not you will be affected. I strongly urge everyone who is affected to complain to their company, to their MP, to their local press, and to Passenger Focus, as the companies are on record as saying fares will not rise, which I have proven to be a lie.
To be honest you are onto a loser. A YP Railcard has ALWAYS had a minimum fare before 10am - check the terms and conditions, but some companies decided to not have it apply to them. All that is happening is that things are being brought into line across the board to make is simpler.
You haven't proven "fares will not rise" as a lie at all, all you have proven is that railcard discounted tickets are having their terms and conditions (rightly) enforced.0 -
Apart from the 95% of people who want to use them after 10am? What a silly sweeping statement to say that it is almost pointless.
When I tried to buy a ticket from Leeds to Hull to get to a job interview I went to those ticket machines which would not let me select young person's rail card. I went to ticket thingies and the bloke said "you can't use it before 10am" so I just ended up buying a day return saver instead as it was after 9.30am (yet I didn't want to wait until after 10am to get the train).
Surely most people who travel places want to go before 10am most of the time?And to be pedantic I did qualify my statement with the word "almost"
From the website it says1. Can I use my Railcard at any time of day?
Yes you can, however for all journeys made at or before 10am, Monday to Friday (excluding at weekends, Public Holidays, or during July and August), a minimum fare applies. If you travel regularly before 10am, then a weekly or monthly season ticket may be more appropriate a Railcard discount will not apply). Here is some more information about minimum fares0 -
Wrong! You can use them but minimum fares apply during September to June inclusive. Minimum fares are generally £8 but £16 for some fares.I was told when trying to use a young persons rail card a while ago that you cannot use them before 10am. Kind of makes the card almost pointless.
Wrong! I do not deny that minimum fares apply. Things are NOT being "brought into line" and it is NOT being made "simpler". Have you done any research? I have! If they wanted to make it simple they would make ALL fares have the same minimum fare - or abolish it completely.To be honest you are onto a loser. A YP Railcard has ALWAYS had a minimum fare before 10am - check the terms and conditions, but some companies decided to not have it apply to them. All that is happening is that things are being brought into line across the board to make is simpler.
I will prove it now.You haven't proven "fares will not rise" as a lie at all, all you have proven is that railcard discounted tickets are having their terms and conditions (rightly) enforced.
York-Sheffield Saver £11.70 with railcard. Minimum fare for a Saver is £8, this is above £8 so FULL DISCOUNT APPLIED.
From 08 September 2008:
York-Sheffield Saver has been RENAMED as "Anytime". Minimum fare for Anytime is £16, this fare is £17.70 so only £1.70 discount applied, the new fare is £16, an increase of £4.30.
This is just one example out of many.0 -
Wrong! I do not deny that minimum fares apply. Things are NOT being "brought into line" and it is NOT being made "simpler". Have you done any research? I have! If they wanted to make it simple they would make ALL fares have the same minimum fare - or abolish it completely.
When you say "all fares" do you mean all, or all YP railcard fares? If you mean all YP railcard fares then they are, if you mean literally all fares, why should they? I don't need to do any research to point out facts.I will prove it now.
York-Sheffield Saver £11.70 with railcard. Minimum fare for a Saver is £8, this is above £8 so FULL DISCOUNT APPLIED.
From 08 September 2008:
York-Sheffield Saver has been RENAMED as "Anytime". Minimum fare for Anytime is £16, this fare is £17.70 so only £1.70 discount applied, the new fare is £16, an increase of £4.30.
This is just one example out of many.
All you have done is proven my point that railcard conditions are being correctly enforced.0 -
What are you talking about? Minimum fares are only applicable to railcard holders.When you say "all fares" do you mean all, or all YP railcard fares? If you mean all YP railcard fares then they are, if you mean literally all fares, why should they? I don't need to do any research to point out facts.
No, what I have done is proven that the product has had it's name changed and that this name change has caused a higher minimum fare to apply than previously.All you have done is proven my point that railcard conditions are being correctly enforced.0
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