Seatfrog has launched a low-cost ticket option for TransPennine Express (TPE) journeys for people who want to travel during a general part of the day rather than a specific time.
Dubbed Secret Fare, the option gives passengers a discount when they book travel on a specified date and indicate that they wish to travel during morning, afternoon or evening. Seatfrog will email them the exact time of the journey 24 hours before departure, together with their seat reservation.
Seatfrog already runs similar schemes with other train operators, such as Avanti West Coast.
The discount will be between 25% and 50% of TransPennine Express Advance Purchase standard ticket prices. Secret Fare is available on TPE journeys including between Manchester and Newcastle from £10, Liverpool and York from £7 and Newcastle and Leeds from £6.
Seatfrog conducted research that showed that 70% of passengers would have chosen alternative transport including cars, buses and coaches if the low-cost ticket option was not available. 23% would have travelled by bus or coach and 15% would have travelled by car. Seatfrog points out that this undermines the positive impact of Secret Fare on reducing congestion and promoting environmentally-friendly travel.
Secret Fare can be booked from approximately five months in advance until two days before departure.
TransPennine Express is also the latest operator to use Seatfrog's Train Swap, which allows passengers to switch their fixed-price ticket to a different train between one day in advance and fifteen minutes before departure, at a cost of £10.
Iain Griffin, CEO and co-founder at Seatfrog, said, “At Seatfrog our vision is to redefine rail travel, crafting an experience for customers that's both affordable and flexible. We are delighted to introduce Secret Fare to TransPennine Express customers. It will not only provide customers with savings of up to 50% on train journeys, but also make a significant environmental impact by hopefully reducing car travel. It's a win for customers' pockets, the rail industry and the environment.”
Darren Higgins, Commercial Director for TPE, said: ''We're thrilled to be able to help customers who can be flexible with their travel times to save money on their journeys with this new ticket in collaboration with Seatfrog. If you're travelling on a specific day, but don't mind what time you travel, then Secret Fare will find you the cheapest fare available. Secret Fare is innovative, budget friendly, and hopefully will encourage more people to take the train and travel in a more sustainable way.''
