Rail bosses admit it’s cheaper to split tickets
Industry chiefs promise end to confusing fares that mean passengers pay too much
TRAIN passengers are better off buying two separate tickets for some single journeys, rail bosses admit today as they promise an overhaul of what they describe as a “frustrating” system.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies and Network Rail, conceded that passengers were sometimes charged peak fares for offpeak journeys because of strict rules forcing them to offer one “through fare” at the time of purchase.
This can happen if a passenger starts a two-leg journey during a peak period and then changes to the second part of the trip in off-peak hours.
The rail industry made the admission as it announced it had commissioned KPMG to help with a public consultation to overhaul the system, which offers 55million different fares on Britain’s train networks.
KPMG found that just one in three rail passengers said they were “very confident” that they had bought the best value ticket for their last train journey.
Splitting tickets to make travel cheaper for consumers has long been the “elephant in the room”, Transport Focus, the independent watchdog, has said, with past research showing passengers can save as much as 90 per cent by buying two tickets for long journeys.
The watchdog has said it “totally undermines any overall trust in the system” as rail passengers turn to websites for advice on how to split their fares.
The Rail Delivery Group said the result of the review will not mean that average fares will have to increase and will not require any extra financial support from taxpayers. It complained that its ticketing system was underpinned by pre-internet regulations unchanged from the mid-nineties, and did not reflect the practices of modern working life.
The rail industry is pledging that the three-month review of ticketing – starting on June 4 – will produce a system that is transparent, predictable, fair, trusted, easier to use and value for money for customers.
Writing in today’s Daily Telegraph, Paul Plummer, the group’s chief executive, pledged to “grasp the nettle” and insisted that customers “deserve better”. He said: “Well-intentioned but ultimately frustrating regulations have failed to keep pace with technology or how people work and travel today.
“Long-standing anomalies are becoming bigger problems for our customers today, impacting on businesses and the communities served by rail.”
Mr Plummer added: “Unpicking the regulation of a £10billion-a-year fares system so critical to our country’s infrastructure and prosperity won’t be easy, and there are no straightforward solutions. Our customers and the economy deserve better. It’s time to deliver the modern, fit for purpose fares system Britain needs.”
Campaign groups welcomed the review. Alex Hayman, the managing director of public markets at Which? said: “Finally, the rail industry has admitted that people could be wasting money buying more expensive tickets than they need to because it is so unclear what certain tickets allow them to do.
“The rail industry and Government must now ensure that any reforms tackle the poor levels of passenger satisfaction.”
Anthony Smith, the chief executive of
Transport Focus, which is advising the review, said: “Fares and ticketing systems need to suit the way we travel now – there is a huge demand for smarter ticketing.”
Jane Gratton, head of business environment at the British Chambers of Commerce, added: “Increasingly confusing, frustrating and unfair, the current system needs to be brought in line with the more nimble and flexible way in which firms now operate.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are investing in the biggest rail modernisation programme for over a century to improve services… providing faster and better trains with more seats. We want passengers to always be able to get the best possible deal on their ticket and we welcome the industry’s commitment to review fares.”