Off-peak travellers short-changed

Chiltern Railways is probably Britain’s best service and has made some major improvements, including shorter journey times and later trains.

By The Newsroom

Published 19th Sep 2011, 09:02 BST

One group who may feel a little short changed are those who travel using the off-peak service. First, the price of these tickets increased by 50 per cent, by far the biggest increase of all fares.

Second, those who take the first off-peak service into London were probably hoping that the new faster services would get them there sooner. No! First, the train departing at about the time of the old off-peak service now arrives at one minute before the 10am deadline and is thus not eligible for off-peak fares.

The first off-peak train still arrives at about the same time, instead it leaves later. To the customer, faster trains mean arriving earlier, not departing later.

What extra value are off-peak users getting for their 50 per cent hike in fares? - Chris Voss, via email.