Top five ways you can find cheaper train tickets as rail fares rocket from today
Commuters are set to be hit with nearly a 5% increase in rail fares from this weekend - but there are ways to find cheaper tickets.
The unwelcoming news came into effect on Sunday, despite recent travel disruption passengers have faced over the past year. Cash-strapped Brits will experience a 4.9% rise, which has sparked an "angry" response from campaigners.
The fares could add £190 to an annual season ticket from Woking to London, taking the cost from £3,880 to £4,070. It could also see flexi season tickets for travel between Liverpool and Manchester on two days per week over a year rising by £92.60 from £1,890 to £1,982.60.
There are several ways to cut down the cost of tickets (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Chris Page, who chairs pressure group Railfuture, said: “Why are rail passengers being punished year after year with inflation-busting fare rises? No matter that there’s a cost-of-living crisis, no matter that we’re facing a climate emergency, the Government seems more determined than ever to price us off the railway and on to the roads.”
Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh stressed the surge will be "tough" for people to manage. “This fare rise will be tough for passengers to stomach given the shocking state of rail services up and down the country," she said. Since coming to power in 2010 the Tories have hiked fares by almost twice as much as wages, and now passengers are being asked to pay more for less.”
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Below we have explored four ways passengers can try to avoid paying the hefty costs.
Buy in advance
One of the cheapest ways to travel via train is by purchasing tickets in advance. Tickets are often released up to 12 weeks before the date, however, some go on offer 24 weeks ahead of the departure date, reports BBC.
However, some lucky commuters might spot the advanced tickets available to buy up to an hour before the train departs. According to Money Saving Expert website, London North Eastern Railway ( LNER ) allows passengers to purchase tickets up to six months before the date.
Try a rail card
Commuters can find discounts when opting for a rail card. Brits have access to several options such as national, regional, students and cards for pensioners. The 16-25 option costs £30 and is rail valid for one year.
Split fares
This is another beneficial option. Split ticketing means you can separate your journey into several tickets between the stations which stop on route. It has been reported that websites, Split My Fare and Split Train Tickets, help customers split the route. According to Split My Fare, passengers can save around 26% on average by doing this for some journeys.
Travel in groups
If you travel in a group, you could save up to a third off the ticket price. This works for groups between three to nine people off peak. It has been advised that groups of ten can also redeem offers by reaching out to the train company directly. Alternatively, you can look for group off-peak day travelcards for London.
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Flexible commuting
Flexible commuting could allow you to save hundreds of pounds, according to Transport Focus. The watchdog reported that national flexible tickets offer passengers the chance to use rail services on any eight days across a 28-day period, without needing to pick the days of travel ahead of time.
The National Rail says the Flexi Season ticket will provide a minimum 20% discount on an equivalent monthly season ticket. You can also ask the company you work for whether they offer season ticket loans to help fund the cost.
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