Impossible to book cheap train tickets for dates after 14 Jan

SimonJ_3

I understand ticket releases are made 6-8 weeks ahead of travel date.
I have observed that on a jouney I wish to make (Plymouth to London) for the last 3 weeks no cheap tickets have been available for dates after 14 Jan which is well within the 8 week band. Tickets before in the week before that date are available from £12.50 and up - single. After 14 Jan all that is available is £62 and up! In the last 3 weeks the the date I have been checking on has not moved forward. The Trainline and FirstGreat Western will not tell me why. I know fare prices went up two days ago. Is a con going on to see who notices? Can anyone explain?
Moral of tale - book for a date before 14 Jan to travel cheap. I think this may apply to many services. It took long enough to keep an eye on "my" route on what has to be the slowest group of websites that exist.

evesham1988la

SimonJ wrote:

I understand ticket releases are made 6-8 weeks ahead of travel date.
I have observed that on a jouney I wish to make (Plymouth to London) for the last 3 weeks no cheap tickets have been available for dates after 14 Jan which is well within the 8 week band. Tickets before in the week before that date are available from £12.50 and up - single. After 14 Jan all that is available is £62 and up! In the last 3 weeks the the date I have been checking on has not moved forward. The Trainline and FirstGreat Western will not tell me why. I know fare prices went up two days ago. Is a con going on to see who notices? Can anyone explain?
Moral of tale - book for a date before 14 Jan to travel cheap. I think this may apply to many services. It took long enough to keep an eye on "my" route on what has to be the slowest group of websites that exist.

Try https://www.megatrain.com for a ticket from Exeter to London for £1 - tickets for 14th Jan avaliable from tomorrow and then on a rolling day-by-day basis. Then add a normal single for £3 from Plymouth to Exeter and et voila: Total Plymouth to London - £4