by A trial to simplify train fares is adding more than £100 to the cost of some journeys on one of Britain’s busiest rail lines.
The price hike was revealed by an analysis of tickets sold by government-owned operator London North Eastern Railway (LNER) for travel on the East Coast Main Line.
This has led to the introduction of a two-year trial advertised as offering “simpler fees”.
Railfuture, a campaign group, described the scheme as “appalling”, while seat61.com, a train travel website, claimed it was designed to “allow huge price increases”.
LNER promised to “make adjustments so that as many people as possible can find the right ticket at the right price”.
Under the trial, the cheapest tickets available for some single journeys between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh have increased from £87 to £193.90 if bought on the day of travel.
Similar increases were found on journeys between London King’s Cross and both Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
‘Terrible move’
The pilot project, which was implemented earlier this month, is limited to those three routes but could be rolled out across the web if it is deemed successful.
The reason for the price increase was the end of off-peak fares, which were the cheapest tickets that could be used on some events during traditionally quieter periods without the need to buy in advance.
The PA news agency analyzed prices for services that holders of those tickets could previously travel on, at a cost of between £83.80 and £87 depending on the route. Now, for some services booked on the day of travel, the lowest price tickets are fully flexible anytime fares priced between £192.80 and £193.90.
Most services offer cheaper options – fixed advance tickets or new semi-flexible 70-minute tickets – but in some cases these fares are more expensive than the super off-peak prices.
Neil Middleton, director of Railfuture, said: “Getting rid of the off-peak ticket is a big deal.
“The prospect of paying more than £192 for a rail ticket to travel between Kings Cross and Newcastle is enough to put you off traveling by train, possibly forever.
“Yes, it is possible to travel for much less, but if you need to travel unexpectedly or travel plans change, these are great prices to pay.
“I think they are far more acceptable for most people’s wallets and indeed for most companies’ cost demands.”
Mr Middleton said the flexibility offered by the 70-minute flex fare was a “real advantage” but expressed concern that “the ticket might not be available when I want to travel”.
He urged LNER to reinstate off-peak charges but continue with the rest of the trial.
‘It’s already failed’
The introduction of the scheme comes as train operators come under increasing pressure from the Department for Transport (DfT) to increase revenue in an effort to reduce taxpayer-funded subsidies.
Mark Smith, founder of seat61.com, said: “It’s now pretty clear to everyone that LNER’s ‘simplification’ of fares to remove the off-peak charge is a smoke screen to allow huge price increases.
“I now suspect that the DfT is behind this. As a trial simplification for passengers, it has already failed and should not be extended.”
He explained that people traveling from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh at short notice could get a “better deal” if they bought an £87 off-peak ticket to Haymarket, one station outside Edinburgh.
Those tickets – which are still available because Haymarket is not part of the trial – allow a journey break, meaning passengers can end their journey in Edinburgh and save 55 per cent compared to the £193.90 am fare at all.
Guy Hobbs, a travel expert at consumer group Which?, said: “It will be extremely frustrating for passengers if a scheme intended to simplify the ticket buying process ends up dropping prices at the back door.
“Off-peak fares tend to be the best value, so it is vital that LNER looks at making changes to ensure that this new scheme offers equal and competitive prices to travellers.”
Fees will be ‘the same or cheaper’
An LNER spokesman said: “Since the launch of the pilot, the majority of customers who bought tickets in advance have paid less than the old off-peak charge.
“From time to time, there will be traditionally classified ‘off-peak trains’ where advance tickets are sold out and a more expensive anytime ticket is the only option on popular services.
“However, the pilot program will see even more advance and 70 minute flex tickets available up to the day of travel.
“We will continue to monitor and make adjustments so that as many people as possible can access the right ticket at the right price for them.”
The operator also said that the percentage of fares purchased on the off-peak routes before the trial was 11 per cent.
He believes that the new pricing system will reflect demand more closely and result in fewer cases of overcrowding.
A DfT spokesman said: “The LNER trial is part of a long-standing commitment to simplifying complex ticketing, which often puts people off getting on the train.
“Through this, most passengers on these routes will find the fares to be the same or cheaper than the old off-peak fare.”
