Why are UK train companies' fare structures so complex?

Question

I've just tried to book a journey between London and Edinburgh and was faced with about 30 different fare options, double that if you include the "buy two singles option", all ranging from about £35.00 return to nearly £400.00. Why????

Answer 1

In order to extract the most money from customers.

In the rush hour, people travel because they have no choice, so the price is the most expensive.  Sometimes, when big events are going on, cheap tickets are not available.

These days, rail firms are not in the business of serving the public, they are in the business of making maximum profit, to pay dividends to the shareholders.

Answer 2

Just choose the one that you want and pay for it!! You'd moan if you didn't have a choice!!

Answer 3

They do it to provide options to the passenger. It's really not that complex anyway just remember some really important factors.

1. Do you want to book in advance, pay less but have to travel at a certain time?

2. Do you want to travel in the peak hours and pay more?

3. Do you want to travel the fastest route or buy the cheapest ticket?

Other than that it's just technical, for example advance tickets are sold as singles because so many people like to compare the rate of a single compared to a return.

Answer 4

Basicly it goes back to when the goverment of the early 1990's privatised the railway & the way that they did it!

Answer 5

If it's sufficiently confusing many people will end up  paying a higher fare to the advantage of the train companies. Of course nobody pays less that the cost of running the train

Answer 6

because public transit personeel cannot get a job in the real world

sorry for you

train people are the worst

Answer 7

The train companies are required by public demand to cater for all sections of the travelling public.  There would be bitter complaints if there was only one type of one-way ticket and one type of round-trip ticket available.  Some people expect a heavy discount for booking in advance while others choose to travel on the spur of the moment.  Certain people insist on first class travel.

Answer 8

Strange in other parts of Europe the basic fare is charged per km. You then pay a supplement for the type of train with premium rates for High Speed Trains.

It works for them but in the UK many companies try and put you off travelling on the spur of the moment, the old turn up and go is know very expensive and often not possible.

The other problem is that each company has a different structure and they are not always compatible, miss a Hull trains service from Kings Cross to Doncaster and then try and use a GNER service instead.