Train ticket bollocks

[Simster]

What a mental situation the train on-line booking system is. I want to go to Scarborough in 3 weeks (returning the following day), and the cheapest way of doing this is to buy FIVE separate tickets.

I could actually understand it if these were simply natural journey changes meaning my service took me across different train operators, but that is only part of the story:

I want to get the Kings X to York train. The cheapest on-line quote for a single that I can get is £43.70. However if I split this so that I buy one ticket from Kings X to Grantham, that would cost me £18.60. Then Grantham to York **on the same train!!** is £15.80, so that is £34 for the same journey but with two single tickets instead of one.

Who the hell is responsible for this shambles?

 

[pasty]

Had similar when we went to Peterborough last season. Cheaper to buy singles from Kings X->Stevenage and Stevenage->Peterborough, as you said, on the same bloody train, than buying a direct Kings X->Peterbourough ticket. Utter madness. We did cheat though as the train we got home after the game didn't stop at Stevenage which in theory invalidated our tickets.

 

[Commander]

The train system in this country is a f***ing joke. As are most of the people who work on it.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I thought the title of this thread was an insult for a person with black stripes down their testicles.

 

[acrossthepond]

Train ticket bollocks

What do you do - slap them on the reader like an Oyster card??

 

[Simster]

I thought the title of this thread was an insult for a person with black stripes down their testicles.

Do you know anyone who literally has "train ticket bollocks" then?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Train ticket bollocks

What do you do - slap them on the reader like an Oyster card??

That's better than mine.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Do you know anyone who literally has "train ticket bollocks" then?

No, I can only imagine them.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Indeed. Its an utter shambles.

I'd love to leave the car at home for more of my work trips, and let the train take the strain, but as I'm not versed in the black arts of how to procure a sensibly priced ticket, I can't be arsed with it.

It is a complete joke, and whoever allowed the country's rail system to get to this state needs shooting.

What makes it more galling still, is that the people working in the industry can't even bring themselves to be honest and agree that the system is f***ed.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I feel sorry for those not on the internet, or who do not travel by rail regularly, who must get absolutely shafted by not taking advantage of all these reductions you can get. The Southern site alone must have about 8 separate ways to get reductions on tickets, whether group save, day save, great save, whatever.

It's actually such a complete head f***, that I wonder if HMRC are actually running the railways!?

 

[Simster]

Train ticket bollocks

What do you do - slap them on the reader like an Oyster card??

I don't know or care, as long as my knackers aren't clipped on the journey.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Absolutely MENTAL. And the thing is YOU are expected to know this. Indeed some would probably say you are cheating by doing this Sim.

Why cant there just be ONE price for single and ONE for a return off preak and on peak - and ALL rail co's agree on off peak and on peak times as I note that these also differer. And maybe just have a discount if you do book in advance instead of all these different super saver, off peak, apex twin, bodyrockers type offers?

 

[Simster]

What makes it more galling still, is that the people working in the industry can't even bring themselves to be honest and agree that the system is f***ed.

They are either wasting their time telling you that everything is great, Chemical Ali style. Or they are making shit excuses as to why the service is so shit. Or they are on strike.

 

[Benson]

Train ticket bollocks

What do you do - slap them on the reader like an Oyster card??

 

[Ernest]

It goes all the way back to privatisation, blame whoever worked out it would be better to split up everything into tiny pieces and expect then it to work in a co-ordinated fashion

 

[Butch Willykins]

I can't tell you how angry and frustrated I get with the shambles of booking a train ticket in this country (let alone the actual service). It's quite literally holding the country back. If I have a meeting in Central London before 10am its cheaper for me to drive in (from Hove) pay congestion charge, pay to park and pay for fuel than it is to get the train. It's utterly ridiculous.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

It goes all the way back to privatisation, blame whoever worked out it would be better to split up everything into tiny pieces and expect then it to work in a co-ordinated fashion

Yes, we realise that. We're not stupid.

Can you expand on it and explain why there could not be one single ticketing comapny, that you buy your ticket from, even if that company was buying the various journey components from different rail companies?

 

[Simster]

It goes all the way back to privatisation, blame whoever worked out it would be better to split up everything into tiny pieces and expect then it to work in a co-ordinated fashion

Yes. We can build a tunnel or a bridge across 13 miles of sea, put someone on the moon, but ten years is simply not enough time for the train fuckwitts to sort out some sensible pricing.

 

[Ernest]

Yes, we realise that. We're not stupid.

Then you know the answer, too many different interests for it ever to work.

 

[Ernest]

Yes. We can build a tunnel or a bridge across 13 miles of sea, put someone on the moon, but ten years is simply not enough time for the train fuckwitts to sort out some sensible pricing.

There is no incentive to work that out as every company only works in its own interests