Why have train companies stopped doing special offers?

[CaptainHaddock]

We are constantly being told by the media that passenger numbers and fare revenue is still substantially down on pre-pandemic levels so why does it seem like train operating companies are making so little effort to attract leisure travellers back with special deals?

As an example of what I mean, I live in Yorkshire and back in early 2020 Northern were running their £10 Day Ranger promotion, LNER had a seat sale with tickets from £5 single and Transpennine Express were doing single fares for as little as £1 to promote their new Nova trains. Whilst the Northern £10 Day Ranger promo did make a brief return last November, none of the other TOCs in my area seem interested in promoting leisure travel. Indeed, if you look at the long running Special Offers Discussion thread on here, the only offers on at present are a pitiful 5% cashback on LNER Perks and a handful of nectar card points that might give you a few pence off your shopping!

So why no special offers right now, at a time of year when leisure travel is usually quite low and trains have a fair bit of spare capacity?

 

[JonathanH]

So why no special offers right now, at a time of year when leisure travel is usually quite low and trains have a fair bit of spare capacity?

Maybe they feel that the relevant leisure market is doing quite well as it is without having to lower prices. In many places this has recovered well with it being the commuting market which is still suffering.

However, wasn't there talk of a wider promotion coming in April and May recently?

Great Ticket Sale courtesy of Grant Shapps

There will be a Great Ticket Sale Source: I don't know more than that except he announced it yesterday from Kings Cross on his official tiktok account.

www.railforums.co.uk

If this is true, you would imagine that the originators of this idea wouldn't want the TOCs to be doing their own thing, so that the 'Great Ticket Sale' has more impact.

 

[davetheguard]

So why no special offers right now, at a time of year when leisure travel is usually quite low and trains have a fair bit of spare capacity?

What incentive do train operating companies have to increase revenue? None really.

Under the new arrangements post Covid, ALL the revenue goes straight to the DfT - the TOCs get none of it; they are merely paid a management fee to run the franchise, and they get that fixed fee regardless of how many people travel.

The revenue risk is with the DfT - they DO have a reason to grow revenue; but civil servants are not often known for their entrepreneurial flair.

 

[Djgr]

The other issue is, particularly at weekends, services are (and I am being very generous here) a little bit flaky.

 

[Horizon22]

Leisure travel at the weekend already around or in many cases above 100% so supply and demand suggests prices might go up if anything.

Conversely, where possible (given DfT or Trasury blessing) they should be trying to get more offers in the week around peak times. However commuting is rising again and is that fair to a season ticket holder? Although if you're only 2-3 days a week, this might be an incentive to take the train but it is a complex area.

 

[ChrisC]

The other issue is, particularly at weekends, services are (and I am being very generous here) a little bit flaky.

I can’t speak for other areas of the country but at weekends, many trains in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Manchester areas are overcrowded and leaving large numbers of passengers behind. Cancellations, reduced timetables and short forming does not help.

 

[Watershed]

We are constantly being told by the media that passenger numbers and fare revenue is still substantially down on pre-pandemic levels so why does it seem like train operating companies are making so little effort to attract leisure travellers back with special deals?

As an example of what I mean, I live in Yorkshire and back in early 2020 Northern were running their £10 Day Ranger promotion, LNER had a seat sale with tickets from £5 single and Transpennine Express were doing single fares for as little as £1 to promote their new Nova trains. Whilst the Northern £10 Day Ranger promo did make a brief return last November, none of the other TOCs in my area seem interested in promoting leisure travel. Indeed, if you look at the long running Special Offers Discussion thread on here, the only offers on at present are a pitiful 5% cashback on LNER Perks and a handful of nectar card points that might give you a few pence off your shopping!

So why no special offers right now, at a time of year when leisure travel is usually quite low and trains have a fair bit of spare capacity?

There is still some advertising going on, and there are still some campaigns (e.g. the Great Ticket Sale as linked above). But broadly speaking there is no need to encourage leisure travel because it has rebounded of its own accord. Encouraging more leisure travel with dirt-cheap fares would only serve to increase overcrowding - which would be difficult to address, as most operators are still not in a position to run a full timetabl. Lots of units have also gone off-lease, and elsewhere there are ongoing shortages of working stock, so strengthening is not an easy option.

It's the commuter and particularly the business markets where there is a massive loss of revenue, and unless the Treasury accepts that the golden goose of full-time season tickets and overpriced Anytime fares is gone, nothing will change there. There need to be truly flexible seasons - ideally something like a 5-in-28 day product which costs the same as a weekly season. And peak restrictions need to be completely overhauled to match when the busiest times actually are.

 

[717001]

I've noticed that Southeastern are doing quite a lot of advertising, promoting an increase in availability of Advance tickets - see https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/tickets/tickets-explained/advance-tickets which starts:

Choose an Advance ticket for money saving travel​

We have added MORE Advance tickets to MORE destinations giving you MORE chances to save and travel on selected routes across Kent, London and East Sussex for less. Book early for cheaper fares, plus there are no booking fees when you book direct with Southeastern.

 

[FenMan]

I try not to ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence ... so GWR have bricked (yet again - they are serial offenders) the availability of any advances from the North Down Line stations they manage if the journey also involves a leg on Greater Anglia. *sigh*

Example:- Blackwater to Norwich. No advances available, ever. But amend the start-point to nearby SWR-managed stations such as Camberley or Farnborough Main and numerous nicely priced advances are displayed for the same dates and times. Normally, the advance fares from Blackwater, Camberley or Farnborough Main to Norwich are pretty similar.

Likewise, although some advances for journeys from Blackwater involving Avanti and LNER are showing, they are massively higher-priced than equivalent journeys from Camberley or Farnborough. I would save a considerable sum by cabbing it to and from either of the latter instead of using my local station. Trebles all round at GWR Pricing HQ! (as Private Eye would say).



.

 

[woolos]

I have found a advance fares blackwater to Norwich bur you need to book well In advance

 

[FenMan]

I have found a advance fares blackwater to Norwich bur you need to book well In advance

Which date please? I I'm just seeing walk-up fates no matter which dates are entered.

 

[sor]

Seeing the same issue as FenMan myself, e.g. try to buy a ticket from Ipswich to any Cornish main line station and no matter how far in advance you book or time of day you’ll only be offered an off peak single or return at best.

Did wonder if it was me doing something wrong - apparently not

 

[CaptainHaddock]

The other issue is, particularly at weekends, services are (and I am being very generous here) a little bit flaky.

Well yes, living in Northern/TPE land I'm aware that at the moment we have temporary reduced service timetables and it's pot luck whether your train will be cancelled or not, but surely once the full timetable is restored then the TOCs need to do something to attract back the customers they've lost over the past two year? Also perhaps some people have turned their back on rail travel permanently as a result of the aggressive "essential travel only" message some of the TOCs were spreading back in the days of the pandemic.