Back in the good old days...
Rail travellers feeling the pinch due to another wave of fare increases can beat 'trainflation' by smarter online buying according to a leading online rail ticket retailer.
On the back of the report released today by the Commons transport committee, which suggests the train operating companies are using the rail franchise system to rip off passengers by raising fares up to 11% above inflation on some routes - thetrainline.com is keen to help rail passengers get the right ticket at the best price.
Ben Pearson, commercial director of thetrainline.com says, "In the current climate, we understand that rail fare increases must be a bitter pill to swallow for passengers feeling the pinch. Our statistics show, however, that in spite of year-on year price increases, we are actually helping people beat what we call 'trainflation'.
"By booking in advance online, our customers regularly save on average 43% compared to those who buy 'turn up and go' tickets from the station on the day of travel."
Top tips for saving money:
* Be flexible - Best Fare Finder - find out when you need to travel for the cheapest tickets. It's ideal for those whose travel date is flexible
* Stay alert - Ticket Alerts offer travellers email alerts of cheap fares on favourite routes as soon as Advance tickets go on sale
* Beat the clock - by specifying your time of travel. Tickets requiring you to travel on specific trains (Advance and Off-Peak) tend to be cheaper than Anytime fares
* Opt for off-peak - avoid the more expensive, peak times. Peak times can vary between different train operators but as a rule of thumb off-peak is after 9am weekdays and after the evening rush hour, around 7pm
* Stay single - two single tickets are often cheaper than a return, so be sure to click on the 'two singles could be cheaper' banner during the fare selection process
* Carry a card - having a railcard could save you 1/3 off rail fares.
* Be alternative - some routes are operated by several train companies and quite often the slower, longer journeys will be cheaper than the faster one
* Try a different route - You may be able to get a cheaper ticket by going on a different route or using a different departure station. For instance people travelling from Birmingham to London can go from Birmingham New Street to Euston or Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone using different train operators.