East Coast fares

[calc7]

I also wonder if they will increase the prices at the same time!

A la Chiltern, whose SSR between London and stations beyond Banbury was £15 only three years ago and is £25 now.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I think East Coast fares are very reasonable. They also offer a rewards scheme and the pounds to points ratio is actually quite good.

I'm surprised. But maybe our perceptions of 'reasonable' are all very relative.
To travel between the Capitals (Edin - London) during any plausible working hours will cost £230 -300 in Standard. I'd argue that there is also a necessary additional cost (whether its catering, Wi-Fi etc.)
Newcastle - London isn't much cheaper.

Yes, there are headline Advances of £16 (single), and are co-promoted with the (large) number of Advance tickets offered each week, but these two statements are unconnected.

I don't find the cost of my journeys to be 'reasonable'.
I find the promotion of a very limited number of low price Advances and (for pax travelling in the next few days) unavailable Advances, to be irrelevant.

 

[34D]

EC is effectively like an airline, and I treat it as such. I plan my journeys 3 months in advance and usually pay no more than £10 each way (York <> London).

I do wish that we had an equivalent of LM; the option to pay about £20 return for a walk-up fare (like people from Stoke/Liverpool can do) and have a 3.5 hour journey, would be a useful addition when you can't book far in advance.

It almost happened of course - networkers to Doncaster was a WAGN plan that almost made it but didn't quite.

York-Arlesey then Arlesey to London (and being on a networker south of Peterborough) is as good though - or maybe you prefer the all atations York-PBO and SVG that seems to take 4 hours for the same price as the ones that do it in 1hr 50?

 

[dstrat]

Indeed, and the return portion of a Doncaster - London SVR is valid at any time from London.

Ah yes, to correct myself, the period is 1457 to 1859 on a Super Off Peak ticket! However £133 for an Off-peak arguably is ridiculous still..

However you say the return portion is valid at anytime from London - not what I've been told by guards on several times when I was delayed into London meaning getting on trains north between 3 and 7!

 

[John @ home]

However you say the return portion is valid at anytime from London - not what I've been told by guards on several times when I was delayed into London meaning getting on trains north between 3 and 7!

To examine this, we need to know the Origin, Destination and Ticket Type printed on the ticket, and whether you were using the outward or return portion.

 

[yorkie]

Ah yes, to correct myself, the period is 1457 to 1859 on a Super Off Peak ticket! However £133 for an Off-peak arguably is ridiculous still..

However you say the return portion is valid at anytime from London - not what I've been told by guards on several times when I was delayed into London meaning getting on trains north between 3 and 7!

Firstly, if you are delayed then I am surprised you are not allowed travel on the next train, but depending on the company who delayed you and providing the connection was a valid one (we'd need more information) you may be entitled to compensation.

Yes, the return portion of a Doncaster - London SVR is valid at any time from London Kings Cross, see http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/SVR_1U.pdf and if you are told it's not valid, ask them to look up the validity code. If you hold a different ticket then we'd need to check the validity code, I've only commented on the Doncaster <> London flow, as that is the question that was asked, although that restriction will apply for other flows too, we need to know the exact origin & destination in order to be certain.