January Fare Increases - and how
to avoid them!
Remember to also check the guide to
rail fares for information on UK rail
tickets.
Britain's
train companies have announced above inflation fare increases
starting January 2008. Regulated fares (e.g.
Season Tickets, Savers and Standard Day Returns) will rise by an
average of 4.8% while unregulated fares (e.g. Cheap Day Returns,
long distance Open and Advance Purchase fares) will rise by an
average of 5.4%. However averages don't tell the whole story.
Here is a table of January fare increases showing the winners and
losers this New Year.
RAIL COMPANY FARE RISES
Proposed changes from 2nd Jan 2008
|
Train company
|
Average regulated rise
|
Average unregulated rise
|
|
Arriva
Trains Wales
|
4.8%
|
4.8%
|
|
c2c
|
4.8%
|
4.8%
|
|
Chiltern Railways
|
4.8%
|
5.1% |
|
CrossCountry
|
4.8%
|
7.0% |
|
CrossCountry Advance Purchase |
|
0.0% |
|
East
Midlands Trains
|
4.8%
|
7.0% |
|
First
Capital Connect
|
4.8%
|
4.8%
|
|
First
Great Western
|
4.8%
|
6.1% |
|
First
ScotRail
|
4.8%
|
4.8%
|
|
Strathclyde Transport (operated by First
Scotrail) |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
First Scotrail, Value Advance 2, Sleeper
Apex and Inverness - Glasgow - Edinburgh |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
First
TransPennine Express
|
5.0%
|
6.4% |
|
Gatwick
Express
|
3.8% |
5.0% |
|
GNER
(Nat Express E Coast)
|
4.8%
|
6.6% |
|
Heathrow Express
|
n/a
|
0.0% |
|
Hull
Trains
|
n/a
|
0.0% |
|
London
Midland
|
4.8%
|
4.8%
|
|
Merseyrail
|
3.8% |
5.0% |
|
Northern Rail
|
4.8%
|
5.7% |
|
one
|
4.8%
|
6.8% |
|
Southeastern
|
6.8%
|
4.8%
|
|
Southern
|
4.8%
|
4.8%
|
|
South
West Trains
|
4.8%
|
4.3%
|
|
Virgin
Trains
|
4.8%
|
4.8%
|
|
Average
|
4.8%
|
5.4%
|
and how to avoid them...
1. Regular Commuters -
Season Tickets.
Unfortunately if you are regularly commuting to and fro work it is
highly likely that you are what the rail companies regard as a
captive audience and you'll likely be forced to stump up the extra
cash or sit in a traffic jam each day. If you are lucky enough
to not to be commuting into London check out what Season Tickets
may be available. In Scotland consider the 'Flexipass' from
Scotrail. It's much cheaper than individual tickets and you
can use it as a single ticket if you find that taking the bus or
getting a lift one way is cheaper.
2. Commuter Coaches - Take a
Bus. Coach companies are realising that
getting to work is costing more and more by train and so are
beginning to provide coach services for those getting to work.
Probably the best is the
Oxford Tube. This luxury coach service from Oxford
to London is air conditioned has reclining seats and more space and
comfort than the train. It's cheaper and offers powerpoints
for laptops and
breakfast! Your time won't be wasted, however as with all road
services you will be subject to delays and the same traffic as
everyone else. There are other good commuter coach services,
including some by Green Line. Check out what's available in
your area.
3. Leisure Travellers
- Railcards and Bargain Fares. Leisure fares will
rise and with these being the unregulated fares, they have higher
increases than those for commuters and business travellers
(generally being the regulated fares). You can still get a
bargain though, so now more than ever is the time to book well in
advance and specify the trains you'll be using. See the
cheap fares guide for details.
Also worth considering if you have never done so before is a
Railcard. If you are a senior
citizen, a family or a young person (up to 25 years old or a full
time student of any age) you'll get 1/3 of most fares. Even
better as these are flexible tickets you may travel on any train,
break your journey and even get a refund if you change your mind.
If you don't have one yet get one!
4. Consider the Coach.
National Express and Citylink Coaches in Scotland have a good route
network that take's you to many places served by rail. Why not
check the schedules and see if they suit you. They might not
be convenient for every journey but perhaps you could work them in.
It's often cheaper than the train and these services are now all
served by modern comfortable coaches so the journey experience is
not too different to a train.
5. Look out for
Special Offers. This website lists offers as they
become available. Check the
Cheaper Train Tickets pages regularly for details.
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