Friday fares to capital are lowered

LNER have moved to ease Friday ticket restrictions by making super off-peak tickets available throughout the entire day.

The move allows customers to buy super off-peak tickets to travel at any time on Fridays on all LNER routes to and from London Kings Cross and Stevenage.

The move should slash the price of travel between Newcastle and the capital on Fridays up until January 4, 2021.

LNER says it has made the decision to help passengers socially distance and disperse them over more services.

Suzanne Donnelly, commercial director at LNER, said: “Relaxing our restrictions on Fridays allows us to spread demand across the entire day, helping our customers to maintain social distancing, save some money and have more choice about when they travel.

“Combined with our reservationonly services and the enhanced cleaning of our trains and stations, this will allow us to further provide both a safe and enjoyable experience for our customers.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “I very much welcome LNER’s decision to ease ticket restrictions, which will help free up more space for social distancing by giving passengers more choice on when they travel.

“As services begin to return to normal levels and passenger numbers increase, it is our upmost priority to ensure everyone stays safe when travelling.

“We’ve taken action to make face coverings mandatory on public transport, continued to advise people to travel at quieter times, wash their hands regularly and maintain social distancing, and delivered initiatives to encourage cycling and walking.”