Trains

I am taking the day off today and heading down to London to meet someone for lunch.

I am lucky that I only live about 40 minutes away by train, so getting there is never an issue. We can buy a rail “travelcard” that allows us to get to London and use the Tube and buses as much as we like in the day. All this for about £26 each, which isn’t bad value really.

The UK rail ticketing system is in dire need of change. There are so many ticket options available at slightly different prices. It is also hard to tell which ticket is which, or which have restrictions or not. Some trains are classed as “Peak”, “Off-Peak” and even “Super-Off-Peak” depending on the destination, day or time you travel.

For example, my ticket this morning could have been one of about 8 options.

• Off-Peak Day Return (travel after 09:30 to avoid the pricier commuter trains and return on the same day)
• Off-Peak Open Return (travel after 09:30 and return within 1 month)
• Anytime Day Return (travel at any time of the day and come back the same day)
• Off-Peak Day Travelcard (travel after 09:30 and get free bus and tube for same day only)
• Anytime Day Travelcard (travel at any time and get free bus and tube for same day only)

Then, multiply this list by 2 as there are 2 different train operators that service the link to London. You can buy variants of tickets that allow travel only on a certain operator, or both. There is a slight price difference between the 2 options.

Then, multiply this by 2 if you also throw in first-class or standard class options.

The prices between all of the options is also quite vast. The cheapest ticket is £21 (Off-Peak Day Return) rising to £48.70 (Anytime Day Travelcard). Or £89.10 for first class.

Plus, the annoying thing is that I could buy the £48.70 ticket and it will still be as valid as the £21 version. I will be travelling during the “off-peak” times, but it still offers me the “Anytime” ticket as an option.

There is also a silly split-ticketing trick you can do too. For example, if I buy a ticket from point A to point C, it is often cheaper to buy one ticket from point A to point B and then another ticket from point B to point C. You stay on the same train, but it is cheaper. Stupid.

I always buy my tickets online but if you buy one from the touch-screen machines at the station, you are presented with a vast array of buttons and options.

If I have to buy a ticket from the station, I usually get one from the ticket office. At least there, the staff can give you good advice and get you the best deal.

For example, if you are travelling in a group to London, especially with children, you can pay full price for the main adult ticket and then £1 for each other person. You don’t get that as an option from the machine or website, or if it is there, it is buried behind too many options.

I feel sorry for people who don’t understand the ticket system. The UK government have said they