Inquiry into train ticket ‘mis-selling’

AN inquiry has begun into the sale of train tickets after a watchdog said passengers may have been ‘misled’ over festive travel.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling ordered an immediate investigation after Transport Focus found passengers could buy tickets for services that will not run due to Network Rail’s engineering work.

The passenger group revealed more than 2,600 omissions or errors relating to trains or replacement buses on journey planners.

It also found that six rail firms had failed to offer a full range of advance-purchase tickets 12 weeks before Christmas when timetables should have been released, meaning some passengers may have to buy more expensive tickets.

Mr Grayling said: ‘It would be totally unacceptable if any passenger has to pay walk-up fares this Christmas because advance tickets were not available.’

He urged Network Rail and train companies to ‘ work more closely together to minimise disruption for passengers and ensure this issue does not happen again’.

By October 13, 11 weeks before December 25, reservations for the Christmas week had still not opened on Great Western, London Midland, South Western Railway and Southern, the Transport Focus report found.

Only 15 per cent of services were open for reservation on Greater Anglia and 25 per cent on Virgin Trains.

Transport Focus said: ‘Being forced to change plans can be frustrating and breeds a sense of distrust in the railway.

‘ It also raises consumer rights issues: Were passengers misled into buying something they would not otherwise have purchased? Did they pay more than they needed to?’

Rachael Maskell, Labour’s rail spokesman, said passengers were ‘being tricked into buying tickets for non-existent services over Christmas’.