UK Rail users = help wanted here please

jimbo45 · 11 Nov 2013

Hi there
Can anybody from the UK please explain to me why it's often CHEAPER getting TWO tickets to cover your journey rather than one to your final destination -- I did recently London to Manchester - TWO tickets LONDON==>Birmingham Birmingham==> Manchester cost me 11 + 9 = 20 GBP whereas the Through ticket(London ==Manchester) was quoted at 43 GBP FOR THE SAME TRAIN !! (Ok I know not all Manchester trains go via Birmingham but the time difference was only 15 mins ). There are loads of similar examples like this -- you need a Ph.d in Mathematics to work out some of these combinations - but I'm sure it's done to totally confuse the customer.

Cheers
jimbo

Everlong · 11 Nov 2013

Ticket splitting is a known way to get cheaper rail travel.

You don't always have to switch trains as well. You could go on the Manchester -> London train, but buy multiple tickets for the same train. You could get a ticket from Manchester to Stoke-on-Trent, and then a ticket from Stoke to London on the same exact train, and it could still be cheaper.

Why it's cheaper, I don't know. Just one of the many things wrong with rail travel in the UK, especially with Virgin who pretty much have the monopoly on the rail network.

I use my rail card religiously when travelling. Anywhere North of Manchester to travel to London costs a fortune. It would cost me £86 or a return ticket, yet with my rail card, which costs £28 a year, I pay £54 for a return ticket now. Pays for itself in a single journey.

Joan Archer · 11 Nov 2013

Rail cards can make a difference also pre-booking tends to work out cheaper as well. I know my neighbour just saved by pre-booking a journey to London from here in South Wales, she went on the Thursday and came back on the Sunday, she had a senior rail card and it cost just over £50. I think she save about £30 - £40 on that trip.

boohbah · 11 Nov 2013

yeah the earlier you book quite often the cheaper it is, Buses/coaches are even cheaper jimbo, and not always but often it pays to check airline prices too.

Joan Archer · 12 Nov 2013

Forgot about the coaches, it's usually that mode of transport she uses when she goes up to Yorkshire to visit family.

tom982 · 12 Nov 2013

I always split my ticket for my journey back from uni in Oxford as it saves me about £10 (25% of the return price). There's a great article on MSE about cheap train tickets which you might want to read:

Cheap Train Tickets: Hidden fares, split tickets - Money Saving Expert

Especially this part:

Finally, off-peak and super off-peak tickets require you to travel at specific times of day. If you split your tickets at a station where you change, and the delay takes you outside the off-peak time, you'll have to pay again.

I know someone who's been caught out this way, so be warned!

Tom