Rail companies including Virgin Trains announce cheaper ‘on the day’ fares – and you buy them up to 10 MINUTES before a journey
The move is designed to make it simpler for travellers to buy last minute low-cost tickets, helping Brits who have to make urgent train journeys for business or family reasons
VIRGIN TRAINS and other rail companies are to allow passengers to buy advance tickets up to 10 minutes before the train's departure time at a reduced cost.
The move is designed to make it simpler for travellers to buy last minute low-cost tickets, helping Brits who have to make urgent train journeys for business or family reasons.
In a step first taken by CrossCountry in January 2015, customers of Grand Central, Greater Anglia, Northern, TransPennine Express, Virgin Trains East Coast, Virgin Trains West Coast and guests of Caledonian Sleeper can now buy advance tickets for many trains on the day of travel at a reduced cost.
Different companies have different deadlines on the day , but TransPennine Express and Greater Anglia offer tickets up to 10 minutes before your journey.
The advance tickets can be bought up to one hour before purchase on Virgin Trains’ west coast route, and two hours before the train leaves its origin station on Virgin Trains’ east coast route, the Sun Online found.
Sarah Copley, Executive Director for Commercial at Virgin Trains on the West Coast told the Sun Online: "Customers can book advance tickets up to six months before travel on weekdays and three months on weekends, and this is still the best way to get the very cheapest fares.
"But we know some journeys are last-minute and that’s why we’re introducing advance fares that will be available on the day. Customers will not only get the cheapest possible fare, but they will also be able to reserve a seat for their journey, meaning they can make the most of their time on-board whether that’s relaxing or working."
Until now popular "advance" tickets have been mostly available to buy until midnight the day before travel.
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“Not everyone can plan journeys in advance and now more people can buy cheaper tickets on the day, even on their way to the station,” said Jacqueline Starr, managing director of customer experience at the Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators.
VIRGIN TRAIN FARES - HOW PRICES COMPARE
WE spoke to Virgin Trains to get some examples on how their tariffs compare:
- London to Manchester: Customers could book tickets from London to Manchester for as low as £38 for an advanced ticket. An off-peak single fare on the day of travel will cost them £82.90
- London to Glasgoew: The trip could cost £65 for passengers buying tickets in advance. An off-peak single on the same day will cost them £136.60
- London to Preston: Those travelling between Preston and London could pay £42 for a one-way ticket on the day. An off-peak single will cost them £88.30
- London to Leeds: Those travelling between Leeds and London could pay £52 for a one-way ticket on the day. An off-peak single on the same day will cost them almost double the price at £105.20.
- London to Edinburgh: An advance fare bought on the day for travel between Edinburgh and London could cost £69, saving customers 50 per cent on the price of an off-peak single £137.
“We want customers to get the best possible deal whenever they travel, ” she added.
Advanced tickets are popular with rail passengers as they offer a saving of up to 70 per cent for those willing to commit to a particular train, research from passenger group Transport Focus previously revealed.
The changes were largely welcomed by campaigners saying it will allow customers to buy last-minute tickets without being penalised.
Lianna Etkind, Public Transport Campaigner at Campaign for Better Transport, said the changes will remove a further barrier to affordable rail travel and means people can make unplanned journeys without being unfairly penalised.
“However, we hope this doesn't add another layer of complexity to a ticketing system already bloated and convoluted," she added.
How to get cheap travel tickets
- CHECK if you're elegible for a discount: Discounts are available for anyone under 26, over 60 or travelling with a child. Check for any .
- Try ticket-splitting: One simple way to save a few quid on your ticket is to split your tickets.As an example if someone were travelling from London to Manchester, it could be cheaper to book tickets from London to Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes to Stoke on Trent and then a ticket from Stoke on to Manchester.You are allowed to remain on the same train throughout your journey provided it calls at all the stops you've bought tickets to.For help in how to perform this tricky ticketing procedure visit
- Get 'early booking' discounts at the last minute: Most people don’t realise just how late you can qualify for a discounted ‘early’ fare.Unless they’ve sold out, CrossCountry Trains offer them 15 minutes before travel – while Virgin and East Midlands Trains offer discount travel up until 11.59pm the day before.
- Buy a season ticket: If you have regular commute you get every day it might be worth buying a monthly or annual season ticket rather than forking out every day.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, on Wednesday said that passengers will welcome this change as it will provide them with a greater opportunity to have access to cheaper tickets for urgent journeys.
“No doubt many passengers travelling with these eight companies will take advantage of this offer. We look forward to the other train companies introducing this opportunity soon. This initiative has come from the Government, industry and consumer bodies working together to iron out some of the glitches in rail fares and ticketing.”
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