GWR - No longer doing advanced tickets on Frome to London Paddington

[LATHB1B]

Hi all - new to the site!

Is GWR no longer offering advanced tickets from Frome to London Paddington? I currently get the 06:12 and return on the 18.08 but prices have gone from £56 up to £112 (or more) for the same journey - even if I'm booking months in advance?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

LATHB1B

 

[Bletchleyite]

With the "return to the office" in full swing they can easily fill trains at the full Anytime price so have no need to have Advances on peak time trains to fill empty seats. GWR takes quite a traditional view on Advances and generally leans towards walk up fares* (unlike say LNER who prefer Advances for everything) so they don't release them if they think they'll fill the trains with walk-up fares alone.

It might be worth you using the Forum ticketing site to see if you can save some money by way of a split ticket, though. I've just got a peak return to Bath with a significant amount off this way.

* Example, the new "Long Weekender" walk up fares - one couldn't imagine LNER doing that!

 

[LATHB1B]

Thanks for the response - seems I can do nothing about it!

Will have to look at alternative routes, just adds an extra level of complexity to my life.

 

[Hadders]

How many times each week do you travel? A Flexi-season or even a normal season could work depending on how many times you make the journey.

Advance tickets on these sort of routes should never be relied upon for a regular commute. They didn't exist pre-covid and now travel patterns are returning to some sort of normality train companies are keen to withdraw them. There is no obligation for train companies to offer Advance fares on any train and they are totally unregulated, there is no transparency around them at all.

 

[Titfield]

How many times each week do you travel? A Flexi-season or even a normal season could work depending on how many times you make the journey.

Advance tickets on these sort of routes should never be relied upon for a regular commute. They didn't exist pre-covid and now travel patterns are returning to some sort of normality train companies are keen to withdraw them. There is no obligation for train companies to offer Advance fares on any train and they are totally unregulated, there is no transparency around them at all.

The price of advances at peak times on at least one SWR route (into London) have gone up considerably. Travelling from London in the afternoon the advances haven't gone up as much but I suspect that many of those going into London for business on an ad hoc basis need a flexible time on the return.

 

[Joe Paxton]

[....]
Advance tickets on these sort of routes should never be relied upon for a regular commute. They didn't exist pre-covid and now travel patterns are returning to some sort of normality train companies are keen to withdraw them. There is no obligation for train companies to offer Advance fares on any train and they are totally unregulated, there is no transparency around them at all.

This - a thousand times this!

The OP's base plan should be around the cost of a non-Advance fare... and if cheaper Advances are available, treat that as a bonus - but definitely never as an expectation.

 

[LATHB1B]

Thanks for all the responses - really appreciated. Think I’ll start driving to London. Real shame but needs must

 

[yorkie]

Hi all - new to the site!

Is GWR no longer offering advanced tickets from Frome to London Paddington? I currently get the 06:12 and return on the 18.08 but prices have gone from £56 up to £112 (or more) for the same journey - even if I'm booking months in advance?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

LATHB1B

Yes, there seem to be no Advance fares available for this journey.

I tried tomorrow and a random day in June; for 19 June the price is £226.80 through GWR, or £114.18 through us.

GWR know that the demand is such that they can make more money by charging a higher fare, even if it puts some people off travelling. Those who are price conscious will use a website such as ours, while those who aren't will pay large premiums.

 

[chipbury]

Thanks for all the responses - really appreciated. Think I’ll start driving to London. Real shame but needs must

I live in roughly in your area and have also given up on taking the train to London.
All short stays and day trips are by car now, massively cheaper for two, a fair bit cheaper for one. Time by car is comparable as I have one change.
A shame as I prefer the train.

 

[Sonic1234]

A pair of GWR advances often seem to be only a few pounds under the price of the walk up ticket these days, even if booking months in advance. Used to be able to book in advance for 40-60% of the price of the walk up fare.