Rail passengers who need to travel last minute on Virgin East Coast can now buy cheaper “Advance” tickets on the day of departure, offering big savings over the train firm’s exorbitant walk-up fares.
Previously the tickets have only been available until midnight on the day before travel. Now those using Virgin Trains East Coast services between London, northern England and Scotland are able buy 43% cheaper Advance tickets up until an hour before the train departs – but not on all routes and trains. The move, part of a drive towards a simpler fare structure, means those turning up to the station without a reservation won’t always have to buy the most expensive “Anytime” or off-peak full fare.
Someone travelling from London to Leeds without a prior booking can now buy a single for £63 on the day of travel, compared with the standard Anytime single fare of £119.50. The company says an advance fare bought on the day of travel between Edinburgh and London could now cost £69, compared with an off-peak single that is £137.
Virgin Trains claims that the changes could collectively save customers £7.1m a year. However, when Money road tested the new system we found few advance fares on offer. Looking for a single ticket from London to Leeds on the day of travel last Wednesday, we could only find the cheaper £63 single on a few trains, all leaving London after 7pm. For departures in the afternoon the cheapest single fare was its super off-peak single at £105.20.
The new offering is only available on certain routes – including between London and Aberdeen, Dundee and Peterborough. Notable absentees include York and Newcastle.
Suzanne Donnelly, commercial director at Virgin Trains East Coast, says the firm has been leading the way in tackling fare complexity. The train operator confirmed earlier this year that it was participating in a pricing trial with the government which is looking at ways to guarantee customers simpler fares.
“Customers who can buy tickets well in advance will continue to benefit from the very cheapest fares, with booking now available six months ahead. However, we know that’s not possible for everyone on every journey, which is why customers can now purchase advance fares on the day of travel and save money as well as reserve a seat.
“With more of our cheapest fares available on the day of travel we are providing customers with a more affordable and relaxing alternative to road or air travel,” she says.
The new on-the-day advance fares are available via the Virgin Trains website, ticket machines and at station travel centres. To get the advance fare on the day passengers have to buy the ticket at least one hour before the train departs its starting station, rather than where the passenger boards it.
