BR’s ever-changing fares structure

I have a lot of respect for Rail Delivery Group Chief Executive Paul Plummer - he understands the need for change at the RDG and seems to be achieving it.

His Guest Column on page 35 of RAIL 829 put forward some good arguments for the benefits of privatisation, although I don’t accept privatisation has been the cause of growth - rather, growth has occurred despite it.

However, his penultimate paragraph, where he insists fares policy has always been a matter for government and will remain the case, is factually incorrect.

British Rail was left to its own devices to maximise revenue, and made dramatic changes from 1968 to 1992 that were taken without government interference.

Until 1968 it priced by distance, thereafter applying selective pricing by quality. In 1975 it introduced universal Weekend Returns, 17Day Returns and long-distance Day Returns.

In 1977 17-Day Returns were extended to last a month, but still required a weekend away. In the early 1980s BR ran trials for a new product that allowed travel out any day and back from the next without the need for a weekend away, and in 1983 these went universal: the Saver was born!

In 1985 the Saver was refined and completely replaced Weekend and Monthly Returns. In 1986 Savers became ‘Low’ or ‘High’ - the latter for Fridays and summer Saturdays. In 1988 they were renamed Blue & White Savers. Finally, in 1992 they became Savers and SuperSavers.

That was 26 years of the most profound changes achieved by a succession of senior managers who understood the issues and showed great flare - but, most important of all, had the freedom to implement what they knew to be best. It was also BR that introduced Advance fares.

In the subsequent 25 years - 22 of them post-privatisation - what has changed? Absolutely nothing! We still have 1992’s Savers. All that has happened is that the conditions attached to them are now more complicated, and the time restrictions far more Draconian.

By now BR would have moved to singleleg pricing, and the system would be less complicated. We’ll only get such progress when we return the railways to a single body run by professionals, away from the dead hand of the DfT.