Fare changes from 6th September 2021 on SWR

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From Get Surrey

South Western Railway (SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)) is changing its ticketing restrictions, potentially creating a significant fare rise for thousands of passengers, a campaign group has said.

The rail company says it is "simplifying" its Super Off-Peak ticketing structure to provide "greater clarity and cheaper fares" for many customers. However, SWR Watch claims the changes will increase fares on certain journeys.

From Monday (September 6), SWR Watch says those travelling to London Waterloo outside of the morning peak period may see their tickets increase by more than 25 per cent, as 'Super Off-Peak' fares will typically only apply for arrivals after 2pm.

[snip]

Full statement from SWR

A spokesperson for SWR said: "Following feedback from our customers, we are simplifying our Super Off-Peak ticketing structure to provide greater clarity and cheaper fares for nearly three quarters of customers.

"For the majority of journeys, we have in the past offered two Super Off-Peak Day return products – Weekday and Weekend – which have both had different time restrictions and price points.

"For shorter journeys of up to an hour, we have replaced these with two new products – Evening Out and Sunday Out – simplifying our offer to customers, namely by making the time restrictions clearer. On Sundays, all time restrictions have been removed entirely, making this cheaper fare available all day.

"On longer journeys of over an hour, we have introduced a Super Off-Peak (Period) Return, providing much more flexibility for our customers so that they can return on any day for up to a month without needing to buy a more expensive ticket.

"We have also introduced Evening Out on routes which did not previously have Weekday Super Off-Peak products, such as Woking to Southampton and Portsmouth, again reducing the cost of journeys for our customers.

"For customers travelling into Waterloo on a weekday between 12 and 2pm, changing their arrival time to after 2pm could see them save money compared to the current Super Off-Peak offering. If a customer is unable to arrive after 2pm, they will see a small increase in cost, as little as £2 each way for a customer from Woking as an example.

"We are confident that our customers will welcome the greater clarity and better value for money that these changes will bring."

[Timmer]

Previous experience has shown when TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) ‘simplify’ fares that means more restrictions thus introducing a fare increase by stealth for when most want to travel.

Bringing in a restriction that doesn’t allow you to arrive into London until 2pm on a cheaper ticket seems counter productive when you are trying to get more people to use the train again.

When are they going to realise their cash cow of the daily commute isn’t coming back to pre Covid levels, so surely you need to be doing everything you can to promote leisure travel?

[JayMac]

I'm looking at a weekday day trip from Templecombe to London Waterloo later this month. I will be split ticking. Second half of the split will have an origin I'll go nowhere near...

[ChrisB]

Latest figures from the RDG^‡(resolve) suggest leisure travel is back to pre-pandemic levels, so moving some to post 2pm may be what they are trying to do

[RichardB]

I've been having a look at the new Evening Out Return fares, for travel out after 12 00, back the same day.  The East Devon ones are really good - and railcard discounts apply (inc the Devon & Cornwall Railcard).

Examples -

Honiton to Exeter   £6.00 (£3.95 with railcard).  Off Peak Day Return is £8.00.
Cranbrook - Exeter  £3.00 (£1.95 with railcard).  Off Peak Day Return is £4.00.

[PrestburyRoad]

Cheaper day returns after 12:00 were also the case on the Southern Region in the 1960s.  My family's days out into the Kent countryside always started with the first train after 12:00.  A 4-EPB on the 12:11 Bellingham to Shoreham (Kent).

I remember the EPBs as basic but reliable.

[grahame]

Cheaper day returns after 12:00 were also the case on the Southern Region in the 1960s.  My family's days out into the Kent countryside always started with the first train after 12:00.  A 4-EPB on the 12:11 Bellingham to Shoreham (Kent).

I remember the EPBs as basic but reliable.

ah yes ... "83" on Monday to Friday, "67" at the weekend. Holborn Viaduct / Blackfriars to Sevenoaks.   Leave Shoreham station to the east and walk up the incredibly steep White Hill ... in the autumn, return home laden with Elderberries for homemade wine. Except we started at St Mary Cray.

[IndustryInsider]

Latest figures from the RDG^‡(resolve) suggest leisure travel is back to pre-pandemic levels, so moving some to post 2pm may be what they are trying to do

Some routes are indeed busier by all accounts, though from casual observation there’s some way to go on other routes.

Are these figures from the RDG direct comparisons?  In other words August 2019 against August 2021?  Or slightly dubious ones such as February 2020 against August 2021?

Either way, it’s great that leisure is bouncing back so strongly.  Commuting figures will no doubt rise as of next week as more office workers return.  It will be interesting to see how they pick up in the run up to new year.  By the end of the year, the industry will have a much clearer idea as to the percentage of the long term commuting return that is likely going forward.