South West Trains Fares

GlennMitchell · Post by **GlennMitchell** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:12 am

I was watching the local news down here last night saying about the government tring to stop SWT putting their fares up by 20%, and it said that SWT still believes that it offers good value for money. If this is true, how come a return from Woking to Southampton costs £17+, yet my return ticket from Woking to Blaenau Ffestiniog from Woking to Guildford on SWT, and then via Birmingham with Virgin only costs £20.10?

Any thoughts on these ridiculous prices?

Glenn

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Thu May 17, 2007 12:06 pm

Virgin (or possibly ATW) set the fare for the Bleaneau trip, whilst SWT set fares for Woking - Soton.

It's a common anomoly: Euston - Gorbowen is about £30 cheaper than Euston - New St, despite the Gorbowen trip requiring a change at..... New St.

Having said that, £20.10 for that trip sounds like an advance purchase, wheras £17 for Woking - Soton sounds like walk-up. It's not really fair to compare the two.

edit: And I'm right. The walk-up fare is £72.60.

GlennMitchell · Post by **GlennMitchell** » Thu May 17, 2007 12:14 pm

arabiandisco wrote:Having said that, £20.10 for that trip sounds like an advance purchase, wheras £17 for Woking - Soton sounds like walk-up. It's not really fair to compare the two.

No, I'd checked that on National Rail the day that I bought my ticket to Blaenau, which is why I used that as a comparison. Do SWT even do advance tickets, because on my trip to Wales, SWT was the only company where I didn't get reservations. I know it's only to Guildford, but on the way back I go via London, and I don't know why SWT don't do reservations

Glenn

Beetlejuice · Post by **Beetlejuice** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:25 pm

Yep. I believe they're the ones that started the one pound faires for the first so many for the off peak trains. Can't remeber what they call them though and you have to be lucky to get one.

yj03ppv · Post by **yj03ppv** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:49 pm

Megatrain?

enotayokel · Post by **enotayokel** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:11 pm

GlennMitchell wrote:
arabiandisco wrote:Having said that, £20.10 for that trip sounds like an advance purchase, wheras £17 for Woking - Soton sounds like walk-up. It's not really fair to compare the two.
No, I'd checked that on National Rail the day that I bought my ticket to Blaenau, which is why I used that as a comparison. Do SWT even do advance tickets, because on my trip to Wales, SWT was the only company where I didn't get reservations. I know it's only to Guildford, but on the way back I go via London, and I don't know why SWT don't do reservations

Glenn

They do. Exeter to London Apex is about £25 return - Railcard Super Advance Retrun is about £21

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/NR/rdo ... /0/map.pdf for where Advance fares are availible

GlennMitchell · Post by **GlennMitchell** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:53 am

They seem to do cheap fares for everywhere but where we are. If you want the £1 fares you have to do the whole journey, which means getting to London to start with.
Sometimes when I go to see my nanna in Fleet I go by train from Brookwood (2 stops) and it costs me over £3, which I think is ridiculous.

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Fri May 18, 2007 8:01 am

2 stops, but it's about 14km (9 miles). If the return ticket costs £4, that's all of 14p/km (22p/mile).

I'm not saying it's particularly cheap (it's not), but nor would I consider that an outrageous fare.

GlennMitchell · Post by **GlennMitchell** » Fri May 18, 2007 8:54 am

I still think that it is far too expensive considering that other companies charge less than this.

enotayokel · Post by **enotayokel** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:42 am

For a Simlar Distance FGW charge £4.50 SDR though their CDR is cheaper at £3 - The Brookwood to Fleet fare is £3.60 SDR - £3.50 CDR