Ludicrous fares

I read the excellent Comment on the current fares model ( RAIL 873) and agree that it’s high time it was reformed.

For example (and there must be many), I have just been investigating tickets for a forthcoming journey from Derby to Truro (return).

For outward travel before the 1029 train from Derby, the anytime return fare is an eye-watering £343.75. Not only that, if you travel out on the 0727 comfortable HST from Derby (destination Plymouth), the booking system makes you change at Bristol Temple Meads into the Great Western Railway Cardiff to Penzance service (0956 from Bristol), formed (I believe) of a 75mph maximum speed two-car Sprinter!

Why on Earth would you give up travelling by HST through to Plymouth for a four-hour journey by Sprinter from Bristol? Is this an unintended consequence of industry structure putting itself first, rather than the passenger?

OK, changing at Plymouth does mean you end up on the same Sprinter from there, but for not much more than an hour through to Truro, rather than four hours from Bristol. There’s also an hour to wait at Plymouth, rather than about 20 minutes at Bristol. I know which I’d prefer.

The only way around these issues is to split-ticket at Cheltenham Spa (to save money) and Plymouth (to save the long journey by Sprinter), which brings the total fare down to £175.95 return, or cheaper still with a Senior Railcard.

But it seems absurd that you have to go to these lengths to get an acceptable fare and journey. Reform can’t come soon enough, as many would-be passengers won’t bother and will simply drive. Chris Hall, Derby