Q&A: train ticket changes

Why has the system been changed?

The changes to the rail fares system are designed to make it easier for passengers to buy train tickets. The new system is being brought in by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) after being first mentioned in the government's rail White Paper last year.

What does this mean for train travellers?

The shake-up targets off-peak travellers. Passengers will only have to choose from one of three ticket types when planning their journey. This should cut down on confusion caused by different services offering differently titled fares and make it straightforward to purchase the best value ticket for the journey taken.

What are the changes?

From May 18, all advance purchase fares, which are substantially discounted, will be known simply as Advance and discounts for Railcards will now also apply.

The Advance title will replace the numerous names for these tickets - including Leisure Advance, Business Advance, Value Advance and Apex.

Then from September 7, the turn-up-and-go tickets will be grouped into two categories - Anytime and Off-peak.

Anytime fares (singles and returns) can be purchased right up to the day and time of travel and used on any train without peak hour or any other restriction. Current ticket types that fall into the Anytime category include open singles and returns.

Off-peak tickets can be bought at anytime for journeys, including day returns, right up until the time of departure but they carry restrictions on the time or day of travel. Current ticket types that will become known as Off-peak include the Saver and Cheap Day Returns.

On some routes, where there are two off-peak fares, the cheaper fares will be called the Super Off-Peak. Current SuperSaver tickets fall into this category.

Will the changes affect the price of my tickets?

ATOC said the price of train tickets will not be increased as a result of the new fares structure. Likewise the regulation of fares, whereby around 40 per cent of fares are price-capped annually, is unaffected.

What Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, calls "the fares jungle"

Will anything be done to bring down the fares?

Campaign for Better Transport (formerly Transport 2000) welcomed the new fare structure but called on the Government to reduce the cost of rail fares, especially for last-minute journeys.

The campaign's executive director Stephen Joseph said: "The real cost of rail fares has increased by 6 per cent in the last 10 years, and government plans mean it will increase further.

"Advance tickets are sometimes cheap but people can't always plan their journeys weeks beforehand. The government must make train travel the cheap and easy option if we're going to reduce carbon emissions from transport."

Is this enough to simplify things?

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker MP believes that "there is much more that can be done to bring clarity to fares."

She says: "There are some good deals around, but travellers are often left confused as to how to get hold of cheap tickets.

"It would help everyone if train companies made their advance ticket policies public so that travellers were clear about what bargain tickets are available and when and how they can best buy them."

What tickets aren't affected by the changes?

Season tickets and London Oystercards will not be affected.

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