Cheap Train Fares guide discussion

dzug1

That £16.20 fare you can buy on the day at the station - valid on any FCC train at weekends for a day return journey.

You are right - always check the full range of fares and don't assume advance singles are always cheapest

bckay2420

Last Saturday, 26 Oct, I went from Shrewsbury to London, including 1 day travelcard, for £39.20, via Crewe. Today I searched for the same trip next Saturday and the option via Crewe is no longer shown; in fact, no Virgin service from Crewe is shown, only much slower (and cheaper) journeys by London Midland. I can still do it for £39.20 from Shrewsbury, but only via Birmingham.

Kite2010

bckay2420 wrote: »

Last Saturday, 26 Oct, I went from Shrewsbury to London, including 1 day travelcard, for £39.20, via Crewe. Today I searched for the same trip next Saturday and the option via Crewe is no longer shown; in fact, no Virgin service from Crewe is shown, only much slower (and cheaper) journeys by London Midland. I can still do it for £39.20 from Shrewsbury, but only via Birmingham.

Engineering works maybe?

dzug1

Kite2010 wrote: »

Engineering works maybe?

That was my immediate thought but I can't see any that would have this effect. And it's the same whether you choose a weekend or weekday any time in the next couple of months

Two possibilities:

a mistake in the booking engine - either last weekend or now

permitted routes have changed and it's no longer valid via Crewe

bckay2420

Kite2010 wrote: »

Engineering works maybe?

No, there are plenty of trains from Crewe. I've also tried several other days and I can't find any journey through Crewe any more. I could buy a ticket from Shrewsbury to Crewe and from Crewe to London, but it would cost more. Furthermore, Virgin has severely limited the number of trains from Crewe to London on which the cheap day return is valid; on a Saturday you can't travel between the 6.29 a.m. and the12.29p.m.
However, with very few restrictions, I can get a Crewe to London (all zones travelcard) for £25.75 with London Midland, as long as I don't mind it taking an hour more than Virgin.
I think in future I'll have to go via Birmingham instead. At least, most of the time I can make the easy change at Wolverhampton instead of the grim New Street Birmingham.
(Posted before I saw the previous post)

JC_Derby

Trying to book a single fare to kettering on 14 th February from either Loughborough or East Midlands parkway. From either its showing as 17.80, even though if I went from emp I would have to change at Loughborough. Am I trying to book too early?

dzug1

JC_Derby wrote: »

Trying to book a single fare to kettering on 14 th February from either Loughborough or East Midlands parkway. From either its showing as 17.80, even though if I went from emp I would have to change at Loughborough. Am I trying to book too early?

What you are seeing is a walkon off peak fare that there's little point in booking. You won't even get a seat reservation if you book now.

You are in any case a bit early to be booking advances for that date - but there don't appear to be any on that flow so it's not going to get any cheaper

You can save about £1 (Loughborough only) by splitting your tickets at Leicester - still on off peak singles

JC_Derby

Thank you. What do you mean by flow?

dzug1

JC_Derby wrote: »

Thank you. What do you mean by flow?

Route, journey, trip

yorkie2

bckay2420 wrote: »

No, there are plenty of trains from Crewe. I've also tried several other days and I can't find any journey through Crewe any more. I could buy a ticket from Shrewsbury to Crewe and from Crewe to London, but it would cost more. Furthermore, Virgin has severely limited the number of trains from Crewe to London on which the cheap day return is valid; on a Saturday you can't travel between the 6.29 a.m. and the12.29p.m.
However, with very few restrictions, I can get a Crewe to London (all zones travelcard) for £25.75 with London Midland, as long as I don't mind it taking an hour more than Virgin.
I think in future I'll have to go via Birmingham instead. At least, most of the time I can make the easy change at Wolverhampton instead of the grim New Street Birmingham.
(Posted before I saw the previous post)

Without checking, this is probably due to a change in the Routeing Guide.

All changes need to be approved by the Department for Transport, so perhaps you could ask the DfT for details of any changes they have approved for this journey, and why they agreed to changes that have resulted in slower journeys for passengers.

You could ask similar questions of Passenger Focus, who need to be consulted (though PF do not need to approve, they can however raise an objection).

Both bodies are subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

You could ask ATOC (Customer Relations manager is John Horncastle) in the first instance though.

More people need to make a fuss of things like this, because if we just accept it, the Train Companies will get away with it, and the DfT will let them!