Virgin Trains Ticketing has warned that Rail passengers are left confused when it comes to getting the best deal on their train travel because retailers are blocked from offering all of the different tickets and fares available. It has called on all political parties to ensure passengers can get the best deal wherever they buy their ticket
More than half (57%) of rail passengers have no idea that train operators can restrict certain fares, which do not have to be made available for sale by independent retailers (such as Virgin Trains Ticketing or Trainline) – stifling competition and leaving commuters confused about how to get the best fare.
To make rail fares fairer, Virgin Trains Ticketing has launched its ‘Charter for Change’, a report calling for a fair and competitive rail retail market – and is demanding all political parties to act and implement the necessary policy changes and technical developments without delay.
Virgin Trains Ticketing’s Charter for Change also outlines how services including Delay Repay and Mobile Pay-As-You-Go, where users can tap in and out at stations using their phones, should be made available across all retail channels so that consumers have consistent access to the services they expect from their chosen retailer. Seventy three percent of passengers would like to receive Delay Repay payments from the same place they bought their ticket, rather than applying to the train operator separately.
Key proposals from Virgin Trains Ticketing’s Charter for Change include:
- Uniform access to all tickets and fares: Ensuring that all discounts and fares available through train operators are also available across all sales channels to eliminate passenger confusion and improve consistency.
- Open data sharing: Providing independent retailers with access to live availability data from across the network to ensure passengers can find the best deal to suit their needs.
- Inclusion of services like Delay Repay: Enabling all retail channels to offer essential services like Delay Repay and Mobile Pay-As-You-Go.
Mark Plowright, director of Virgin Trains Ticketing said: “It is crucial the industry, ministers and political parties support our calls to ensure a fair and competitive retail market to help unlock a better deal for passengers.
“Independent retailers like Virgin Trains Ticketing sell approximately half of all UK rail tickets, and commuters across the UK deserve more choice when it comes to where they buy them – while also being reassured they’re getting the best fare available to them. Train operators are withholding certain fares and it’s not fair – passengers are rightly frustrated by this.
“Buying a train ticket is every passenger’s first interaction with the network. Getting this ‘shop window’ right is crucial in boosting rail ridership and winning back passengers’ trust.”
Image credit: Virgin Trains
