LNER to trial simpler fares

We will begin a trial to offer simpler ticketing options for customers booking travel on some LNER routes.

The trial for journeys from 2 January 2020, with tickets on sale from 29 November 2019, has been designed to address issues whereby people are purchasing single tickets for long distance journeys, sometimes at nearly the cost of the return fare.

The trial will replace return fares with single tickets around half the price of a return ticket. This will allow customers to select the best ticket options for their journeys more easily; giving passengers the opportunity to ‘mix and match’ the best ticket for each leg of their journey.

The Department for Transport is supporting the plans, to learn lessons for further possible reforms of rail fares.

The trial will remove the following ticket types from sale on some LNER city to city journeys:

• Anytime Return
• Super Off-Peak Return
• Off-Peak Return

Customers will instead have the option to purchase the following single ticket types:

• Anytime Single
• Super Off-Peak Single
• Advance Single

For example, passengers currently travelling between London and Edinburgh buying a ticket at the station pay £146.40 for a Super Off-Peak Single ticket or £147.40 for a Super Off-Peak Return ticket. Under this trial, the cost of a Super Off-Peak Single would be £73.70.

LNER Commercial Director, Suzanne Donnelly, said: “At LNER we are always looking at ways to make travel simpler and smoother for our customers. This trial will be the first step towards giving customers more confidence they are buying the correct ticket for their needs and ultimately making fares simpler.”

Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, said: “This important LNER trial will simplify fares, benefitting passengers up and down the country. It will give customers confidence that they are buying the right ticket for their journey and help to provide the modern transport service passengers expect.”

The trial will be for journeys between London King’s Cross and the following stations Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh, with only single ticket options on these journeys available to customers. The trial will not apply to journeys to or from other destinations on the route between these locations.

The trial will take place for specific journeys between:

• London King’s Cross – Leeds
• London King’s Cross – Newcastle
• London King’s Cross – Edinburgh

In First Class the three ticket types available will be slightly different, Anytime Single, Off Peak Single and Advance Single.

Earlier this year, the Rail Delivery Group, on behalf of train operators, published proposals for once-in-a-generation reform of the fares system.

The proposals followed the biggest ever rail fares consultation last summer, run in partnership with independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus, in which 20,000 people took part and eight in 10 people want the current system changed.

The example fare provided in this release is based on current prices but may be subject to change with the January fares round.
There may also be cheaper advance fares available i.e. this is not the cheapest fare available but is a saving against the current on the day price of a Super Off-Peak single ticket.

For further information please contact: press.office@lner.co.uk

07704 021 208