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The plight of rail passengers hit with record-breaking rises in fares this month at a time when money is tighter than ever has prompted anger among consumer groups.
"The fare rises hark back to a time of high inflation and spiralling energy costs," says Anthony Smith, chief executive of consumer watchdog Passenger Focus. "The economic climate is very different now, but the seemingly unstoppable rail price express ploughs on."
Yet so far, the government has failed to take any action over the increases in fares, which average 6%, while train operators claim to need the revenue to pay for further investment in the network. So rather than wait for a resolution, it's worth taking advantage of canny ways to cut the cost of rail travel, whether you're an occasional traveller or regular commuter.
For starters, book as early as possible to get the cheapest fare, and particularly to ensure a reasonable price for a big trip. Tickets are often available up to 12 weeks in advance of travel, as Network Rail typically sets the timetable then - so put a reminder in your diary. Advance tickets can even be bought the night before, so always check to see if these are still available. But bear in mind that these often require you to travel on specific trains.
There are also various websites that are worth scouring to find the best deal. As they won't list all the same tickets, if you've time for a full belt and braces approach on a big fare, try them all. Thetrainline.com has a "best fare finder" facility that will inform you when you need to travel to get the cheapest ticket. It boasts that customers can achieve average savings of 39% by booking ahead compared with buying a ticket at the station on the day of travel. You simply enter where you want to go and when, and the site displays the options available so you choose the best one for you.
For example, if you are planning a trip from London to Bristol Temple Meads on the weekend of 21/22 February, the best fare finder shows that the cheapest ticket available is £10 - if you travel before 9am or after 12pm. For the return journey, you should travel before 9am or after 7pm to get a ticket for £10. But the cost soars to £48 if you return between 9am and 12pm on the Sunday.
This site also offers a "ticket alert" system under "gadgets and tools" to email you the moment cheap advance tickets for a specific journey come on sale. Another site worth checking is Raileasy.co.uk, which also searches for cheap fares. Also check out Nationalrail.co.uk, which has an array of tools including season ticket calculators and journey planners to help with your travel needs. However, when it comes to booking the ticket, do so at the station or through the rail company's website as usually there's no booking fee. Thetrainline.com charges a £1 booking fee, plus an extra £2.50 for credit card payments.
Railway operator Southern offers an Advance one way ticket to London Victoria on its routes into London from Brighton, Portsmouth, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, for between £3 and £10. It's available to book up to 6pm the night before travel, subject to availability, either online at nationalexpresseastcoast.com or from station ticket offices, although you must travel on a specific train and off-peak, so after 9.30am, but not between 4 and 7pm. If you're travelling from Manchester to London, go to virgintrains.co.uk and click on "special offers" to access mid-week single tickets from just £1.
If you're a regular traveller, then there may be fewer options, but it's often possible to seriously cut your costs by getting a railcard or season ticket. Which one works for you depends on how often you travel. If you commute daily along the same route, it's often worth getting an annual season ticket. Railcards offer a third off most ticket prices and cost from £20 a year. Two thirds of people can save hefty sums using a railcard, so go to Railcard.co.uk to see the five different types: for example, the 16-25 Railcard caters for people in that age group, the Senior Railcard is for over-60s and there is Family and Friends Railcard. The latter allows up to four adults and four children to travel together on the card with adults getting a third off fares and kids get up to a 60% discount.
You may be able to split your tickets and get a cheap fare for part of it, says Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com. Instead of buying tickets for the whole journey, buying tickets for its constituent parts separately can slash the price, and you won't even have to change trains. Take a train journey from London to Penzance, says Lewis: An anytime day return costs £257 but by buying four singles (London to Plymouth, Plymouth to Penzance, Penzance to Plymouth and Plymouth to London) the cost can be cut to just £50.
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