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Luton-Chesterfield: Private Eye article

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johnnychips

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From Private Eye 4-17 May 'Signal Failures'

'Just how easy it is to overpay is shown by an Eye reader's purchase of a £172-50 "anytime" Luton-Chesterfield return ticket (standard class) on... East Midlands Trains. The following week he needed to make the journey twice, and the ticket clerk sold him a weekly season ticket, valid on all trains, for £158-70. Our reader would have bought two "anytime" returns - overpaying by £186-30 - had a ticket office not been available...'

Does this sound a reasonable criticism? I've tried to go on EMT website to check fares but it keeps crashing.
 
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Polarbear

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Advantix confirms those fares as being correct! Yes, a 7 day season is LESS than the Anytime return for 1 trip. :o

Nice one East Midland Trains!;)
 

Stewart

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Usual kind of pricing on our trains really. i can't think of another industry which does this kind of pricing but I am willing to be corrected.
 

johnnychips

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Advantix confirms those fares as being correct! Yes, a 7 day season is LESS than the Anytime return for 1 trip. :o

Nice one East Midland Trains!;)

Well I wondered if 'Dr B Ching' from Private Eye had cocked it up, but it seems he's right. I wonder if he's a forum member?

The article concludes '...he paid £13-80 too much for his first journey'
 

Stewart

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Well I wondered if 'Dr B Ching' from Private Eye had cocked it up, but it seems he's right. I wonder if he's a forum member?

The article concludes '...he paid £13-80 too much for his first journey'

Blame the passenger?
 

johnnychips

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Sorry to burst your bubble but this was pointed out several days ago.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1071775&postcount=15

Not a matter of bursting bubbles, but today is the 4th; how did anybody know about it?

Oh - perhaps subscribers get their copies earlier.

And 'several days' is actually two days.

To be fair, if the ticket purchaser intended to return after seven days, then the cheaper season would not apply. In fact he didn't want to. The point the Eye is making is that closure of ticket offices will remove staff expertise in place of unknowing ticket machines.
 
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