It’s a funny old time to be a commuter right now — especially one who relies on trains to get from A to B. On the one hand, the strikes have slowed down. It’s early days, but I’m cautiously optimistic — if only because I cannot bear to catch a bus to Gatwick again. That two-hour journey via Heathrow still crops up in my nightmares from time to time.
On the other, is it just me or do the fares keep going up and up? Last week, it was announced that LNER was discontinuing off-peak fares on its longer-distance routes in favour of something it introduced in January called “semi-flexible” fares — essentially a 70-minute window of time in which a customer can catch a train to their intended destination.
For a country that professes to have a cutting-edge transport network, Britain is good at giving the least bang for the most buck
These changes come into effect from October 1, but the chatter on train social media is dire. For those who don’t speak train (like myself), this means customers face paying more for less flexibility. Or, of course, paying £270 for a London-Edinburgh anytime return. And while this is only an LNER thing currently, don’t be surprised if other train companies follow suit.
But what’s new? For a country that professes to have a cutting-edge transport network, Britain is good at giving the least bang for the most buck. And while I remember thinking trains were expensive in my uni days, it’s now 10 years on and I’m still struggling to afford ticket prices on a full-time salary. Like many others, I rely heavily on workaround sites like Trainsplit and Split Ticketing to find the best fares. But with companies like LNER increasingly closing the travel loopholes that they exploit, the prices on these sites keep going up and up.
Let’s talk about the 26-30 railcard. In 2019, we cheered as it was launched, with much fanfare. While it’s certainly done its part in cutting down fares (probably to something approximating what they should cost), there’s a catch. My friends are turning 30 and face the having to pay full price for train journeys that often end up delayed, cancelled or (yes) held up due to strikes. Given that salaries haven’t gone up with inflation, that’s something most are dreading.
I hate to be that person, but perhaps it’s time for somebody to step in. And by somebody, I mean the Government. Labour wants to be the party of change? Start by changing the way we travel.
