Ticket machines at railway stations are charging passengers more than double the price of some journeys online, according to new research.
Consumer group Which? found that same-day train tickets were 52% more expensive on average at stations, and the best value fares were often either unavailable or hidden on many machines.
Mystery shoppers checked priced of 75 different journeys, with a same-day one-way ticket from Holmes Chapel in Cheshire to London showing the starkest difference of 154% cheaper when bought online compared to at a station (£26 at Trainline or £66 from a machine).
Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, called the price differences ‘simply astounding’, adding: ‘Huge numbers of us are potentially paying significantly more than we need to when we commute to work or visit friends and family across the country.’
It comes just after the Department for Transport announced regulated train fares in England would go up by 4.9% from March, while Transport Scotland will be increasing fares by 8.7% in April.
Especially amid strikes and disruptions, rail travel doesn’t always seem like the most cost-effective option. But using a few handy tricks, you can save some money to lessen the pain of ever-rising fares.
Book in advance
One of the reasons Which? found for stations machines charging more was the lack of availability of advanced tickets, which tend to offer the best value.
Advanced fares can be purchased as little as ten minutes before your train’s departure time, either on websites like Trainlines or via ticket offices at stations. Some apps can also send you an alert as soon as tickets for a selected journey go on sale, so you can get in there as soon as possible (and before prices go up).
They do mean you can only travel at specific times, but according to This Is Money, booking up to 12 weeks in advance can be 10 times less than booking on the day.
Travel off-peak
In some cases this won’t be an option, but if you’re able to travel off-peak, you can save some cash.
Unlike advanced tickets, with an off-peak ticket you don’t need to get a specific train, so there is some added flexibility. You will have to travel outside of peak hours, though, which varies between regions and rail companies but typically excludes morning or evening commuter times.
A study by Which? revealed that an anytime ticket from London to Swansea is £77.80 more expensive at peak times – and in some cases, you can save over £100 by waiting a mere hour.
Buy before March
As mentioned, fares are due to go up in March. If you buy before then, though, you beat the price hikes.
Season ticket railcards or advanced bookings before 3 March should be protected from the increases, so get in now if you can.
Give GroupSave a go
Many people are unaware of this trick, which allows groups of between three and nine people to get a third off the off-peak price.
Ticket machines may not show you this, so it’s best to book these at the ticket office or online. While you don’t need a railcard, one passenger does need to book all the tickets – just ask for GroupSave.
On Trainline, four separate off-peak returns from Cardiff to Bristol would set you back £128.80, yet with the GroupSave option, the total falls to just £84.80, representing a decent £44 saving.
If you’re travelling in a group of more than 10, contact the train company directly to see if you’re eligible for a discount.
Use a Railcard
Despite under-25 and over-60 Railcards being popular, many other options are available – and you may be eligible for one without even knowing.
While they cost money, they knock a third off the cost of off-peak travel, so you could see savings after just a couple of journeys.
The 26-30 Railcard, Two Together Railcard and Family and Friends Railcard each cost £30 a year, so if you fall within that age range, regularly travel with someone else or with your children, it’s worthwhile.
Over 20 million people in the UK qualify for at least one Railcard, with the average saving sitting at over £150 a year. Get yours here.
Try split ticketing
Split ticketing refers to buying separate tickets for different legs of a single journey, and it’s an easy way to save cash.
You don’t need to swap trains or even seats, but the only rule is that your carriage must stop at the station from which separate tickets have been bought.
Train staff or ticket machines are unlikely to show this as an option, so use sites like Split My Fare and Trainsplit to work out if your route offers the hack. Trainline also has Split Ticketing options built-in.
An example given by Which? looked at a return from Manchester to London, which cost £375.50 normally or £87.88 for a split ticket if the train stops at Crewe.
Get cashback
Many train companies and ticket websites are listed on the likes of Quidco and TopCashback, which gibe you a small percentage of money back on each purchase you make.
Alternatively, cashback credit cards and bank accounts may offer payouts and points, and the Virgin Trains app gives Virgin Red Members points for every £1 spent.
In May last year, TopCashback held an offer where passengers cvould get 7.35% back on certain journeys through Trainline, including the likes of London to Edinburgh and London to Newcastle.
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