From Private Eye:
LNER is the government's testbed for the future of intercity trains, but
the nationalised operator's approach to ticket pricing over the Christmas >period suggests transparency and fairness for passengers are not
priorities.
When it comes to live events, such as Oasis concerts, the government >professes to be wary of prices being "swiftly adjusted to match demand" - >even though it is exploiting similar tactics for LNER tickets.
In November it said there was a growing need for organisers of live events >"to ensure that consumers have a positive experience when purchasing
tickets, free from confusion and unfair practices and with access to the >information they need to make an informed decision when purchasing a
ticket"
This concern for fairness does not carry through to rail passengers,
however. Government-owned LNER's ticket machines are programmed to deny >passengers a "positive" and fully informed purchasing experience (see last >Eye).
And LNER has scrapped walk-up off-peak tickets for many journeys, such as >Newcastle-London, leaving passengers with a choice of eyewatering "anytime" >tickets or advance ones which become dearer or non-existent at busy times >(Eyes passim) - similar to the dynamic pricing model used for concert
tickets or hotel bookings.
A search on Boxing Day for LNER Newcastle-London trains on 27 December (the >first day following the Christmas railway shutdown) showed that after the >7.10am the next 27 trains were "not available". Then the cheapest fare for >the 2.27pm was u200.80. That's the
"anytime" single, valid on all LNER trains (including those that are >supposedly "not available") but misleadingly not always shown as an option.
A London-Newcastle search for that morning also branded almost all trains
as "not available" By contrast a search for London-Plymouth tickets, run by >Great Western Railway, was relatively free from confusion: walk-up tickets >available for all trains on 27 December at u74.90, and some slightly
cheaper advance ones.
Labour says it will build on LNER's ticketing "success" when GWR and other >firms are nationalised. Thus when demand increases, due to seasonal or live >events, intercity trains will be swiftly adjusted to being "not available"
or ludicrously dear. Brilliant.
On Thu, 8 Jan 2026 17:00:03 -0000 (UTC), Tweed
<usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
From Private Eye:I wrote to my SNP MSP asking for ScotRail to be returned to
LNER is the government's testbed for the future of intercity trains, but
the nationalised operator's approach to ticket pricing over the Christmas
period suggests transparency and fairness for passengers are not
priorities.
When it comes to live events, such as Oasis concerts, the government
professes to be wary of prices being "swiftly adjusted to match demand" -
even though it is exploiting similar tactics for LNER tickets.
In November it said there was a growing need for organisers of live events >> "to ensure that consumers have a positive experience when purchasing
tickets, free from confusion and unfair practices and with access to the
information they need to make an informed decision when purchasing a
ticket"
This concern for fairness does not carry through to rail passengers,
however. Government-owned LNER's ticket machines are programmed to deny
passengers a "positive" and fully informed purchasing experience (see last >> Eye).
And LNER has scrapped walk-up off-peak tickets for many journeys, such as
Newcastle-London, leaving passengers with a choice of eyewatering "anytime" >> tickets or advance ones which become dearer or non-existent at busy times
(Eyes passim) - similar to the dynamic pricing model used for concert
tickets or hotel bookings.
A search on Boxing Day for LNER Newcastle-London trains on 27 December (the >> first day following the Christmas railway shutdown) showed that after the
7.10am the next 27 trains were "not available". Then the cheapest fare for >> the 2.27pm was -u200.80. That's the
"anytime" single, valid on all LNER trains (including those that are
supposedly "not available") but misleadingly not always shown as an option. >>
A London-Newcastle search for that morning also branded almost all trains
as "not available" By contrast a search for London-Plymouth tickets, run by >> Great Western Railway, was relatively free from confusion: walk-up tickets >> available for all trains on 27 December at -u74.90, and some slightly
cheaper advance ones.
Labour says it will build on LNER's ticketing "success" when GWR and other >> firms are nationalised. Thus when demand increases, due to seasonal or live >> events, intercity trains will be swiftly adjusted to being "not available" >> or ludicrously dear. Brilliant.
FirstGroup. Unsurprisingly, this did not meet with an enthusiastic
response.
Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 8 Jan 2026 17:00:03 -0000 (UTC), TweedWhat is your complaint about the current ScotRail operation?
<usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
From Private Eye:I wrote to my SNP MSP asking for ScotRail to be returned to
LNER is the government's testbed for the future of intercity trains, but >>> the nationalised operator's approach to ticket pricing over the Christmas >>> period suggests transparency and fairness for passengers are not
priorities.
When it comes to live events, such as Oasis concerts, the government
professes to be wary of prices being "swiftly adjusted to match demand" - >>> even though it is exploiting similar tactics for LNER tickets.
In November it said there was a growing need for organisers of live events >>> "to ensure that consumers have a positive experience when purchasing
tickets, free from confusion and unfair practices and with access to the >>> information they need to make an informed decision when purchasing a
ticket"
This concern for fairness does not carry through to rail passengers,
however. Government-owned LNER's ticket machines are programmed to deny
passengers a "positive" and fully informed purchasing experience (see last >>> Eye).
And LNER has scrapped walk-up off-peak tickets for many journeys, such as >>> Newcastle-London, leaving passengers with a choice of eyewatering "anytime" >>> tickets or advance ones which become dearer or non-existent at busy times >>> (Eyes passim) - similar to the dynamic pricing model used for concert
tickets or hotel bookings.
A search on Boxing Day for LNER Newcastle-London trains on 27 December (the >>> first day following the Christmas railway shutdown) showed that after the >>> 7.10am the next 27 trains were "not available". Then the cheapest fare for >>> the 2.27pm was u200.80. That's the
"anytime" single, valid on all LNER trains (including those that are
supposedly "not available") but misleadingly not always shown as an option. >>>
A London-Newcastle search for that morning also branded almost all trains >>> as "not available" By contrast a search for London-Plymouth tickets, run by >>> Great Western Railway, was relatively free from confusion: walk-up tickets >>> available for all trains on 27 December at u74.90, and some slightly
cheaper advance ones.
Labour says it will build on LNER's ticketing "success" when GWR and other >>> firms are nationalised. Thus when demand increases, due to seasonal or live >>> events, intercity trains will be swiftly adjusted to being "not available" >>> or ludicrously dear. Brilliant.
FirstGroup. Unsurprisingly, this did not meet with an enthusiastic
response.
On Thu, 8 Jan 2026 17:10:21 -0000 (UTC), Tweed
<usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 8 Jan 2026 17:00:03 -0000 (UTC), TweedWhat is your complaint about the current ScotRail operation?
<usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
From Private Eye:I wrote to my SNP MSP asking for ScotRail to be returned to
LNER is the government's testbed for the future of intercity trains, but >>>> the nationalised operator's approach to ticket pricing over the Christmas >>>> period suggests transparency and fairness for passengers are not
priorities.
When it comes to live events, such as Oasis concerts, the government
professes to be wary of prices being "swiftly adjusted to match demand" - >>>> even though it is exploiting similar tactics for LNER tickets.
In November it said there was a growing need for organisers of live events >>>> "to ensure that consumers have a positive experience when purchasing
tickets, free from confusion and unfair practices and with access to the >>>> information they need to make an informed decision when purchasing a
ticket"
This concern for fairness does not carry through to rail passengers,
however. Government-owned LNER's ticket machines are programmed to deny >>>> passengers a "positive" and fully informed purchasing experience (see last >>>> Eye).
And LNER has scrapped walk-up off-peak tickets for many journeys, such as >>>> Newcastle-London, leaving passengers with a choice of eyewatering "anytime"
tickets or advance ones which become dearer or non-existent at busy times >>>> (Eyes passim) - similar to the dynamic pricing model used for concert
tickets or hotel bookings.
A search on Boxing Day for LNER Newcastle-London trains on 27 December (the
first day following the Christmas railway shutdown) showed that after the >>>> 7.10am the next 27 trains were "not available". Then the cheapest fare for >>>> the 2.27pm was -u200.80. That's the
"anytime" single, valid on all LNER trains (including those that are
supposedly "not available") but misleadingly not always shown as an option.
A London-Newcastle search for that morning also branded almost all trains >>>> as "not available" By contrast a search for London-Plymouth tickets, run by
Great Western Railway, was relatively free from confusion: walk-up tickets >>>> available for all trains on 27 December at -u74.90, and some slightly
cheaper advance ones.
Labour says it will build on LNER's ticketing "success" when GWR and other >>>> firms are nationalised. Thus when demand increases, due to seasonal or live
events, intercity trains will be swiftly adjusted to being "not available" >>>> or ludicrously dear. Brilliant.
FirstGroup. Unsurprisingly, this did not meet with an enthusiastic
response.
Too many cancellations.
Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 8 Jan 2026 17:10:21 -0000 (UTC), Tweed
<usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 8 Jan 2026 17:00:03 -0000 (UTC), TweedWhat is your complaint about the current ScotRail operation?
<usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
From Private Eye:I wrote to my SNP MSP asking for ScotRail to be returned to
LNER is the government's testbed for the future of intercity trains, but >>>>> the nationalised operator's approach to ticket pricing over the Christmas >>>>> period suggests transparency and fairness for passengers are not
priorities.
When it comes to live events, such as Oasis concerts, the government >>>>> professes to be wary of prices being "swiftly adjusted to match demand" - >>>>> even though it is exploiting similar tactics for LNER tickets.
In November it said there was a growing need for organisers of live events
"to ensure that consumers have a positive experience when purchasing >>>>> tickets, free from confusion and unfair practices and with access to the >>>>> information they need to make an informed decision when purchasing a >>>>> ticket"
This concern for fairness does not carry through to rail passengers, >>>>> however. Government-owned LNER's ticket machines are programmed to deny >>>>> passengers a "positive" and fully informed purchasing experience (see last
Eye).
And LNER has scrapped walk-up off-peak tickets for many journeys, such as >>>>> Newcastle-London, leaving passengers with a choice of eyewatering "anytime"
tickets or advance ones which become dearer or non-existent at busy times >>>>> (Eyes passim) - similar to the dynamic pricing model used for concert >>>>> tickets or hotel bookings.
A search on Boxing Day for LNER Newcastle-London trains on 27 December (the
first day following the Christmas railway shutdown) showed that after the >>>>> 7.10am the next 27 trains were "not available". Then the cheapest fare for
the 2.27pm was u200.80. That's the
"anytime" single, valid on all LNER trains (including those that are >>>>> supposedly "not available") but misleadingly not always shown as an option.
A London-Newcastle search for that morning also branded almost all trains >>>>> as "not available" By contrast a search for London-Plymouth tickets, run by
Great Western Railway, was relatively free from confusion: walk-up tickets
available for all trains on 27 December at u74.90, and some slightly >>>>> cheaper advance ones.
Labour says it will build on LNER's ticketing "success" when GWR and other
firms are nationalised. Thus when demand increases, due to seasonal or live
events, intercity trains will be swiftly adjusted to being "not available"
or ludicrously dear. Brilliant.
FirstGroup. Unsurprisingly, this did not meet with an enthusiastic
response.
Too many cancellations.
But no more peak time fares!
| Sysop: | Amessyroom |
|---|---|
| Location: | Fayetteville, NC |
| Users: | 54 |
| Nodes: | 6 (0 / 6) |
| Uptime: | 12:44:05 |
| Calls: | 742 |
| Files: | 1,218 |
| D/L today: |
2 files (2,024K bytes) |
| Messages: | 183,176 |
| Posted today: | 1 |