United Kingdom’s biggest train operators has been accused of ripping off customers by charging almost twice as much for advance tickets as it does for tickets bought on the day of travel.
It comes after Virgin Trains East Cost announced it would be hiking the prices of unregulated fares by an average of 5.5 per cent in 2017, with some fares going up by 7 per cent, far above the rate of inflation.
The difference in ticket prices between tickets bought on the day and tickets bought in advance was discovered by rail industry consultant Adrian Quine, who alerted Virgin to the problem months ago.
The difference in fares is most acute for people booking within a week of travel.
Virgin keeps 100 per cent of the money from advance sales, but has to share takings from flexible tickets bought on the day with other train operators as passengers are free to take whichever train they choose.
The Government minister responsible for railways said the discrepancy must be addressed, because “rail passengers must be able to trust that they are getting the best possible deal every time they travel”.
Passengers wanting to travel from Penrith to London can book an advance single for £146, but if they buy a ticket on the day they would pay only £101.40 for a return.
Similar disparities occur on other routes, such as Glasgow to London, London to Lancaster and London to Manchester.
Paul Maynard, the rail minister, said that the ticket buying experience is all too often complicated and hard to navigate and he is committed to working with industry to make it simpler.
A spokesman for Virgin Trains said that they encourage customers to book as early as possible to get the best deals. Their website shows all available fares so that customers can make the best decision for their needs.
