LNER has announced that they will begin a trial to offer simpler ticketing options for passengers 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 where passengers 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 passengers 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 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.
The trial will be for journeys between London King’s Cross and Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh. 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.
What did the officials say?
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.”
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Sounds good. When is LNER actually going to start using the Class 801 Azumas on services that they will operate on. Has there been any information on whether to introduce the Class 801s in passenger service.