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No more return rail tickets 22:23 - Feb 5 with 6512 viewsHayesender

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/05/return-train-tickets-expected-t

Will this mean rail fares becoming even more expensive?

Fck me, away days are expensive enough as it is!

Poll: Shamima Beghum

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No more return rail tickets on 22:37 - Feb 5 with 4930 viewsCateLeBonR

Just read it briefly and no it seems to suggest that the single fare price will be reduced. Not the return fare increased. It's a vague article really. "Two singles costing the same as the present return fare". How much will one single cost then?

Not a bad idea on the face of it. What the real outcome will be is anyones guess.
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No more return rail tickets on 23:03 - Feb 5 with 4835 viewsHayesender

No more return rail tickets on 22:37 - Feb 5 by CateLeBonR

Just read it briefly and no it seems to suggest that the single fare price will be reduced. Not the return fare increased. It's a vague article really. "Two singles costing the same as the present return fare". How much will one single cost then?

Not a bad idea on the face of it. What the real outcome will be is anyones guess.


Yeah, that's how I've read it, but the cynic in me says the rail companies will just increase the price of a single

Poll: Shamima Beghum

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No more return rail tickets on 05:54 - Feb 6 with 4654 viewsBushRanger82

No more return rail tickets on 22:37 - Feb 5 by CateLeBonR

Just read it briefly and no it seems to suggest that the single fare price will be reduced. Not the return fare increased. It's a vague article really. "Two singles costing the same as the present return fare". How much will one single cost then?

Not a bad idea on the face of it. What the real outcome will be is anyones guess.


Same outcome as always, the UK will have one of the, if not, THE, most expensive rail travel in Western Europe.
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No more return rail tickets on 07:00 - Feb 6 with 4565 viewsPlanetHonneywood

Not read it, but it sounds similar to how the airlines operate. In which case, I defy anyone to get an inward/return fare that's the same price or Heaven forfend, cheaper than the outward flight.

Also, I'd like to see how they: incorporate concession passes and where your journey requires connection(s). If they're selling singles and say your first train is delayed or cancelled, what will they do to alleviate your inconvenience occasioned by their fault.

I say this as generally the budget airlines sell as a point-to-point and the fun comes when the arrival of your first flight lands after your second departs. I was once part of several passengers Air Asia had got to KL late for a connecting flight, and who were originally told: we'd have to pay for new flights tomorrow. This amounted to a red wrag, whereupon we collectivised, and went through several levels of civil disobedience before someone materialised from management to apologise; arrange overnight accommodation; and a new flight 'without charge' for the next day.

Good luck doing that at Crewe...assuming the rail companies are still employing people to assist customers. And yeah, I've no doubt its designed to extract more cash out of pockets.

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Poll: Who should do the Birmingham Frederick?

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No more return rail tickets on 07:53 - Feb 6 with 4448 viewsstevec

Can you imagine only having a one way ticket up North. Terrifying.
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No more return rail tickets on 08:03 - Feb 6 with 4435 viewsozranger

My phone popped up an item from the Tele and that also has an item on this and the readers' discussion afterwards is a good read. One item put up is most interesting. What happens if there is a strike and the forward trip is cancelled. Do you also get your money back for the return trip you can no longer take given that you could not get to the place owing to the strike? With a return ticket, both trips are part of one ticket. With single tickets, they are not. Of course, the same happens for the opposite situation with the return leg being cancelled owing to a strike.

Someone, in the Lancashire area stated that a certain trip (dep. Friday and ret. Monday) was cheaper using day returns than a weekend return or two singles. That is not using the second or first parts of the ticket, respectively to get from point A to B. I remember this being the case in the US with flights back in the 90s. Of course, this may just be one of the reasons why they are taking such action.

The Tele article does not state that the tickets will be cheaper and thus many questioned if a now £6 return will become two £3 singles or two £5 singles as that is what singles cost these days.
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No more return rail tickets on 08:15 - Feb 6 with 4398 viewsderbyhoop

UK rail fares are the highest in Europe and the service is poor.
This move may benefit the rail companies but unlikely to do the same for customers.

We took return trips from Poitiers to Paris at New Year. 2 return tickets for 100€ the two. Train was clean, fast and on time, with reserved seats. In UK it would have been 3x the price.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain) Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky

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No more return rail tickets on 08:19 - Feb 6 with 4390 viewstoboboly

No more return rail tickets on 22:37 - Feb 5 by CateLeBonR

Just read it briefly and no it seems to suggest that the single fare price will be reduced. Not the return fare increased. It's a vague article really. "Two singles costing the same as the present return fare". How much will one single cost then?

Not a bad idea on the face of it. What the real outcome will be is anyones guess.


They won't be doing it for us so it will be way more expensive.

Really is time to renationalise things that are a natural monopoly.

Sexy Asian dwarves wanted.

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No more return rail tickets on 08:31 - Feb 6 with 4357 viewsnix

Just can't wait for a privatised NHS which we're hurtling towards. All gone swimmingly with privatised services here. All the water leaks fixed with all this extra investment and cheap as chips (!). Rail services much more efficient and fewer strikes (!). All of it we benefit from as we get all the dividends as we own all these services, don't we?

Someone I know wanted to go to Bath from Paddington the other day. On a Sunday, so totally off peak. Day return, £150. Second class. Who can afford that?

How often are the services cancelled as well? For no particular reason, aside from the strikes and the sadly unavoidable things like people on the line or suicides.

I'm seriously not particularly left wing, I'm really not. But FFS it's a farce.
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No more return rail tickets on 08:36 - Feb 6 with 4344 viewsBerkoRanger

But it could be the removal of the heavily discounted "cheap day return".
Need to wait and read the small print.
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No more return rail tickets on 08:59 - Feb 6 with 4274 viewsTerry49

I have to say that it is about time each of the rail companies in this country charged by the mile. A standard UK rate would stop the likes of Avanti ripping users off and would be a far fairer system. You could have a lower rate at weekends to encourage leisure travel and make it cheaper for the thousands of football supporters who travel the length and breadth of the country week in snd week out.
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No more return rail tickets on 09:04 - Feb 6 with 4249 viewsstevec

No more return rail tickets on 08:31 - Feb 6 by nix

Just can't wait for a privatised NHS which we're hurtling towards. All gone swimmingly with privatised services here. All the water leaks fixed with all this extra investment and cheap as chips (!). Rail services much more efficient and fewer strikes (!). All of it we benefit from as we get all the dividends as we own all these services, don't we?

Someone I know wanted to go to Bath from Paddington the other day. On a Sunday, so totally off peak. Day return, £150. Second class. Who can afford that?

How often are the services cancelled as well? For no particular reason, aside from the strikes and the sadly unavoidable things like people on the line or suicides.

I'm seriously not particularly left wing, I'm really not. But FFS it's a farce.


True, but live in London, the richest city in the country, and you get free travel throughout every London borough when you’re over 60. Bus fares, half the price of those outside London. It’s perverse.

We know it’s supply and demand but if the railways were renationalised, something I’m not against, then London needs to pay more to level up and give up its freebies.
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No more return rail tickets on 09:08 - Feb 6 with 4237 viewsbollockchops

So the whole train industry in the UK is a mess and the best the transport secretary can do is fanny about with the tickets !
I use to use the trains twice a month but since covid its once a year !
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No more return rail tickets on 09:09 - Feb 6 with 4235 viewsManinBlack

Bus companies have been abolishing returns and just doing singles. Trouble is it increased fares. A return from Bedford to Milton Keynes was £11 but by making it a single at £6.40, it meant paying £12.80 in total. An increase of £1.80. Total con.

The problem with rail fares is a single has generally been 10p cheaper than a return so by my reckoning buying two singles will definitely cost more as Stagecoach proved on the buses. L
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No more return rail tickets on 09:22 - Feb 6 with 4198 viewsozexile

If you think the consumer will come out on top you haven't lived long enough.
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No more return rail tickets on 12:52 - Feb 6 with 3972 viewsLazyFan

These are the proven factual inefficacies of the private sector.

We need to have proper public sector govt control to have a planned nationwide approach to our country's infrastructure.

It is the sensible approach, whereas privatisation has always been a complete disaster, as many many many times was warned against, again and again.

So, make sure you let everyone know the reason for the mess is "the inefficacies of the private sector", say it in a posh condescending Reece-Mogg-type voice as well so the message is rammed home!

zzzzzzzzzz

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No more return rail tickets on 13:32 - Feb 6 with 3873 viewsNorthantsHoop

No more return rail tickets on 09:04 - Feb 6 by stevec

True, but live in London, the richest city in the country, and you get free travel throughout every London borough when you’re over 60. Bus fares, half the price of those outside London. It’s perverse.

We know it’s supply and demand but if the railways were renationalised, something I’m not against, then London needs to pay more to level up and give up its freebies.


This is an anomaly that needs to be sorted on access to free public transport travel at 60 in London, as in other areas outside London people have to wait until state pension age to get free bus travel, so at the moment at least 67.
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No more return rail tickets on 13:56 - Feb 6 with 3808 viewsterryb

No more return rail tickets on 13:32 - Feb 6 by NorthantsHoop

This is an anomaly that needs to be sorted on access to free public transport travel at 60 in London, as in other areas outside London people have to wait until state pension age to get free bus travel, so at the moment at least 67.


When was this introduced?

I admit it was a long time ago that I received a free bus pass at the age of 60 & my wife also did in 2016 (perhaps she waited till later & I've forgotten!), but I thought it was still available at 60 in Suffolk.

Has the age for getting a senior railcard also increased? Not that this is free or gives cheaper tickets than any of the other discounts available.
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No more return rail tickets on 14:10 - Feb 6 with 3755 viewsnix

No more return rail tickets on 09:04 - Feb 6 by stevec

True, but live in London, the richest city in the country, and you get free travel throughout every London borough when you’re over 60. Bus fares, half the price of those outside London. It’s perverse.

We know it’s supply and demand but if the railways were renationalised, something I’m not against, then London needs to pay more to level up and give up its freebies.


While I agree we should get free travel later, at retirement age, I disagree with the levelling down for London. We’re already, together the south east, the only net tax contributing area. Everywhere else, including Scotland and Wales, are net receivers.

For wealthy people living in London, it’s probably fine but for those on low income London is an incredibly expensive place to live. I’m in Bath at the moment and booked a cinema ticket: £8.50. In London (well Kingston not central London) it would be £12 plus. Housing is vastly more expensive, which means council tax is more expensive.

But that’s not really relevant to why privatised services are crap. It’s the basic principle that they have no competition. If I want to get a train to Bath, there’s only one railway line so they’re not competing with other rail companies, just other forms of transport. I can’t decide not to use water services or sewerage. They have no reason to be efficient or reasonably priced. Hence why it doesn’t work to have privatised basic services.
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No more return rail tickets on 14:34 - Feb 6 with 3686 viewsNorthantsHoop

No more return rail tickets on 13:56 - Feb 6 by terryb

When was this introduced?

I admit it was a long time ago that I received a free bus pass at the age of 60 & my wife also did in 2016 (perhaps she waited till later & I've forgotten!), but I thought it was still available at 60 in Suffolk.

Has the age for getting a senior railcard also increased? Not that this is free or gives cheaper tickets than any of the other discounts available.


In England other than London free bus passes are only available at state pension age. Senior railcard is 60 for national rail and costs £30 a year.
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No more return rail tickets on 14:46 - Feb 6 with 3663 viewsNorthantsHoop

This will be interesting if they plan to scrap one day travelcards from national rail stations, as part of this reform, as they turn out cheaper for travellers going to London Zones 1-6 using multiple tube and bus conections in these zones rather than using contactless for each journey.
Also it will be interesting on whether two off peak singles will be cheaper, always a catch. For example if I use my Network Railcard cost £30 a year to give a third discount on off peak travel. Currently two super off peak singles costs between Northampton and Euston £13.05 each way total o £26.10, while a return ticket is £19 and one day travelcard covering Zones 1-6 is £21.75, bit of a no brainer pay £21.75 covers return between Northampton and Euston and multiple bus and tube journeys in London. Can't see how this new proposed doing away with return rail fares can match this unless they cut single fares significantly, and match it up to maximum daily contactless limits in Zones 1 to 6.
[Post edited 6 Feb 2023 15:16]
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No more return rail tickets on 15:01 - Feb 6 with 3611 viewsStevenageRanger

No more return rail tickets on 14:46 - Feb 6 by NorthantsHoop

This will be interesting if they plan to scrap one day travelcards from national rail stations, as part of this reform, as they turn out cheaper for travellers going to London Zones 1-6 using multiple tube and bus conections in these zones rather than using contactless for each journey.
Also it will be interesting on whether two off peak singles will be cheaper, always a catch. For example if I use my Network Railcard cost £30 a year to give a third discount on off peak travel. Currently two super off peak singles costs between Northampton and Euston £13.05 each way total o £26.10, while a return ticket is £19 and one day travelcard covering Zones 1-6 is £21.75, bit of a no brainer pay £21.75 covers return between Northampton and Euston and multiple bus and tube journeys in London. Can't see how this new proposed doing away with return rail fares can match this unless they cut single fares significantly, and match it up to maximum daily contactless limits in Zones 1 to 6.
[Post edited 6 Feb 2023 15:16]


Not sure that is the case these days. Been better to buy a return to the London Terminal and then use contactless for the rest as it is capped at the TFL max. I stopped buying Travelcards about 3-4 years ago. For me its Kings Cross Return and then Contactless all day.
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No more return rail tickets on 15:27 - Feb 6 with 3545 viewsNorthantsHoop

No more return rail tickets on 15:01 - Feb 6 by StevenageRanger

Not sure that is the case these days. Been better to buy a return to the London Terminal and then use contactless for the rest as it is capped at the TFL max. I stopped buying Travelcards about 3-4 years ago. For me its Kings Cross Return and then Contactless all day.


I tend to find it cheaper on London Northwestern on travelcard as only paying an additional £2.75 for the travelcard element. Two contactless off peak fares between Euston & White City is £5.20.
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No more return rail tickets on 15:37 - Feb 6 with 3519 viewsTacticalR

No more return rail tickets on 13:32 - Feb 6 by NorthantsHoop

This is an anomaly that needs to be sorted on access to free public transport travel at 60 in London, as in other areas outside London people have to wait until state pension age to get free bus travel, so at the moment at least 67.


One limitation of the 60+ Oyster travel card since June 2020 is that you can't use it before 9:00 on weekdays.

This was introduced as a temporary measure because of COVID, but for some reason during the negotations with TfL in 2022 the government insisted that this limitation be retained.
https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/f

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No more return rail tickets on 15:53 - Feb 6 with 3482 viewsNorthantsHoop

No more return rail tickets on 15:37 - Feb 6 by TacticalR

One limitation of the 60+ Oyster travel card since June 2020 is that you can't use it before 9:00 on weekdays.

This was introduced as a temporary measure because of COVID, but for some reason during the negotations with TfL in 2022 the government insisted that this limitation be retained.
https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/f


Government are probably behind the scenes in a battle with Mayor of London to raise the 60+ Oyster card to state pension age for future entitlements to save money. I am not sure if there is a precept added to London Council Taxpayers to cover concessions etc, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the DfT are trying to cut subsidies to TFL where they can. Difficult line to hold in current environment with state pension age rising and levelling up stuff to have age concessions considerably lower in London than rest of England.
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