Southeastern do not always Advance!
I have recently been buying some Advance Purchase tickets for travel in February. Interestingly, travel from Bat & Ball via Sevenoaks to my required destinations has not been offered, although it has been available via Blackfriars. For example:
- a journey to and from Norwich, with first class travel between Liverpool Street and Norwich in both directions via Blackfriars at £35.60 is cheaper than a standard class return ticket via Sevenoaks £42.25!
- a return standard class journey from Bat & Ball to Derby, via Blackfriars is £31.70, whereas the same journey via Sevenoaks is £82.70.
In both examples, arrival times at the destination, and departure times from the destination are the same!. Similarly, journeys commencing at Sevenoaks with the same arrival times at the destination, and departure times from the destination are not offering Advance Purchase ticket fares, even via Bat & Ball.
Are Southeastern trying to direct people away from their services if they want to travel on cheap Advance Purchase tickets?
Hi Keith
Thanks for sharing these details. May I ask please, which source you obtained the example fares from (a website, perhaps?), and also please whether you are including a railcard discount, thank you?
Stephen
Hi Stephen
In answer to your questions.
All fares quoted were from the National Rail Enquiries website and included a Senior Railcard discount if it was allowed against the journey.
Keith
Hi Stephen
In answer to your questions.
All fares quoted were from the National Rail Enquiries website and included a Senior Railcard discount if it was allowed against the journey.
The fare for the return journey to Derby is made up as follows: –
Bat & Ball 08.25 / Blackfriars 09.29
Blackfriars 09.37 / St Pancras 09.45
St Pancras 10.02 / Derby 11.25
Advance single, with senior railcard discount, standard class £15.85
Derby 15.04 / St Pancras 16.41
St Pancras 16.57 / Blackfriars 17.06
Blackfriars 17.16 / Bat & Ball 18.21
Advance single, with senior railcard discount, standard class £15.85
Total £31.70, tickets purchased from East Midlands trains on 30 November 2018.
The fare for the return journey to Norwich is made up as follows: –
Bat & Ball 07.21 / Blackfriars 08.29
Transfer by London Underground
Liverpool St 09.30 / Norwich 11.27
Advance single, with senior railcard discount, standard class Bat & Ball / Blackfriars and first class Liverpool St / Norwich £17.80
Norwich 15.00 / Liverpool St 16.57
Transfer by London Underground
Blackfriars 17.46 / Bat & Ball 18.50
Advance single, with senior railcard discount, first class Norwich / Liverpool St and standard class Blackfriars / Bat & Ball £17.80
Total £35.60, tickets purchased from Greater Anglia trains on 01 December 2018.
Interestingly, when I did this journey in February 2018 the tickets included first class travel between Sevenoaks and London in both directions.