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Arriva are complete and utter rip off merchants!

Started by Tony, April 05, 2014, 10:09:24 PM

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Bob

Surely to God a simple integrated system with one national operator would be better than this current s##t state of affairs! Dont we pay the highest fares in Europe also?

Tony

Quote from: Bob on August 23, 2015, 03:37:14 PM
Surely to God a simple integrated system with one national operator would be better than this current s##t state of affairs! Dont we pay the highest fares in Europe also?

So good old 'British Railways' had cheap simple ticketing just before John Major privatised it? ran trains to time and had good frequent services everywhere.

The privatisation was far from perfect, and both parties have made a cock up of trying to perfect it, but the fares I generally pay now are lower 'in real terms' than they were under BR, the services are generally a lot more frequent and the trains more modern.

Now if we could get the infrastructure provide to get the track & signalling to work better, they might be a lot more reliable as well

andy41

Quote from: Oozells on August 23, 2015, 01:58:53 PM
Just over 10 years ago I was going from Birmingham to Manchester for £13 return! Now you can't even get a single for that price. I hate Cross Country Trains with a passion. They've done nothing to keep the trains looking nice on the inside. Bring back Branson - I can't believe we've got over 4 more years of this!

Never pay XC and travel direct to Manchester from Birmingham unless you find a decent Advance, which they deliberately make very expensive now. Even if you do the train will be rammed, hot and uncomfortable.

Travel on the Liverpool service to Crewe (always loads of decent cheap advances on that) and then get an open return from Crewe to Manchester on any permitted. Between Virgin, Arriva and Northern, you will soon be in Manchester for much less money, in greater comfort and only a little more time.

598

Quote from: andy41 on August 25, 2015, 11:10:05 AM
Never pay XC and travel direct to Manchester from Birmingham unless you find a decent Advance, which they deliberately make very expensive now. Even if you do the train will be rammed, hot and uncomfortable.

Travel on the Liverpool service to Crewe (always loads of decent cheap advances on that) and then get an open return from Crewe to Manchester on any permitted. Between Virgin, Arriva and Northern, you will soon be in Manchester for much less money, in greater comfort and only a little more time.

Not every single train that CrossCountry operates is rammed, hot and uncomfortable!

andy41

Quote from: X94 on August 25, 2015, 11:59:29 PM
Not every single train that CrossCountry operates is rammed, hot and uncomfortable!

True, but most on the Manchester to Reading/Bournemouth route are as they are generally 4 car when many more are required...

Kevin

Quote from: X94 on August 25, 2015, 11:59:29 PM
Not every single train that CrossCountry operates is rammed, hot and uncomfortable!

Yeah I caught a train at about 11pm back from Tamworth once. That had loads if space...
Now in exile in Oxfordshire....
 

598

Quote from: Kevin on August 26, 2015, 12:49:22 PM
Yeah I caught a train at about 11pm back from Tamworth once. That had loads if space...

So do a lot of the ones to and from Manchester in the middle of the day...

Kevin

Quote from: X94 on August 26, 2015, 02:58:50 PM
So do a lot of the ones to and from Manchester in the middle of the day...

Still unnecessarily expensive though
Now in exile in Oxfordshire....
 

Tony

Another example of Arriva Cross Country rip-off.

I'm going to Manchester tomorrow in the peak.

Anytime return from Hednesford to Manchester = £89.60 (priced by Arriva Cross Country)

Now what happens if I make my way 8 miles up the road to Rugeley? An anytime Day return magically appears for the price of £25.60!  Saving £64.00

T840MAK

Rather than complaining about the price of through tickets on CrossCountry, split ticketing is perfectly legal and no-one can stop you from purchasing them to cover your journey as long as all trains stop where the tickets are split at;

Hednesford to Manchester, split ticket at Rugeley takes the cost down to £28.30.
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Sh4318

Quote from: andy41 on August 25, 2015, 11:10:05 AM
Never pay XC and travel direct to Manchester from Birmingham unless you find a decent Advance, which they deliberately make very expensive now. Even if you do the train will be rammed, hot and uncomfortable.

Travel on the Liverpool service to Crewe (always loads of decent cheap advances on that) and then get an open return from Crewe to Manchester on any permitted. Between Virgin, Arriva and Northern, you will soon be in Manchester for much less money, in greater comfort and only a little more time.

That's what I do. Either that or split ticketing
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Other Walsall Tony

Quote from: andy41 on August 25, 2015, 11:10:05 AM
Never pay XC and travel direct to Manchester from Birmingham unless you find a decent Advance, which they deliberately make very expensive now. Even if you do the train will be rammed, hot and uncomfortable.

Travel on the Liverpool service to Crewe (always loads of decent cheap advances on that) and then get an open return from Crewe to Manchester on any permitted. Between Virgin, Arriva and Northern, you will soon be in Manchester for much less money, in greater comfort and only a little more time.

How about LM to Stoke and then any permitted to Manchester?
Tony

andy41

Quote from: Other Walsall Tony on June 27, 2017, 07:54:19 AM
How about LM to Stoke and then any permitted to Manchester?

Doesn't work from Birmingham.

Roy

You have to be ultra careful to avoid being ripped off by CrossCountry.  I've just booked advance tickets for a journey from Bristol to Birmingham for September.  Bristol to Birmingham on the 1430 service is £14.20 with railcard.  Bristol to Cheltenham is £3.15 advance, Cheltenham to New Street in £4.75 advance - a total of £7.90 and a saving of £6.30.  That's on the same train (HST thankfully), same seat - same everything except the price.

Tony

Found another Cross Country rip off fare!

I need to go to Scarborough tomorrow to collect 5403 from EYMS.

Birmingham to Scarborough anytime single £101.60

Birmingham to Sheffield anytime single £50.50
Sheffield to Scarborough anytime single £39.20
Total £89.700


So no splitting for off-peak tickets or advance, but a ticket valid on every single train and you can save nearly £10.90. I can even save a bit more by splitting again at Tamworth!

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