Great Western Coffee Shop

Advance fares seem to waver between being TOC specific and system-wide. It doesn't seem to have been decided whether the ambition is that they're intended for a TOC network or between any two stations, perhaps on a 'Core train and connections' basis.

Inspired to post this having attempted to set up a couple of TOC ticket availability alerts, and there seem to be several mechanisms on the go for *that*. LNER only allow alerts for tickets involving journeys by LNER trains. Crosscountry... odd. Go to their ticket alert page and set 'Bath Spa' as your starting station and the drop down in the destination field then only contains a single station 'York'...

Also inspired by the perception that, when bought as an add on, GWR have tended to make the Bristol to Bath length of the GWR main line one of the most expensive in the country. (OK, probably justified by the engineering works...)

I was also inspired by recalling the famous 'Advance ticket 1st class' bargain Alness to Bath Spa 6 years ago for around £100. Current attainable price seems to be around £267, some of the increase may or may not be down to the GWR leg involving a peak time departure from Paddington, but that segues into the observation that for long distance travel, some part of the trip is always going to be in the peak and if that bumps up the entire fare to an 'Anytime' fare then that goes a long way to explain the average journey length and passenger churn on Crosscountry, whose strapline could be 'Your national local train'.

Mark

They're TOC-specific - my understanding is that whichever TOC has responsibility for setting the flexible fares on a journey also sets the Advance fares, where they are available. It is TOC choice whether or not to offer Advances for any flows that they price. Also, their decision whether to offer any 'any connections' to stations (on other TOCs networks) that branch off their main routes.


Left over from when one of their very early morning departures was from Bath I think pre-Covid.


One of their most popular pieces of track, it's no wonder that they try & get as much revenue as possible from it. Always remember that the sole purpose of selling Advances is to fill seats that otherwise wouldn't be filled - and with Bath - Bristol being popular, they don't have to sell that many. AS an example, it is often cheaper to buy two off-peak day returns from London to Bristol (splitting at Didcot) than an Advance from Paddington all the way. And you get off-peak flexibility too as a bonus.


My bet is that is probably priced by XC, who are renowned for having pushed up the Advance fares big time over the past 5 or so years at least.

Advance fares can be provided by more than one TOC, and not necessarily the TOC that sets the walk-up fare.

For example, Bath - Pembroke Dock walk-ups are priced by TfW Rail, but AP fares are available priced by GWR and XC (yes really!)

The XC Advances again were only available on that previous Bath starter early morning service & are no longer available as XC do not serve Bath. A legacy fare on brfares that needs removal.

GWR sell as they serve (or did) Pembroke Dock in the summer months. Again, if they don't go back, it would be only available on the few Carmarthen services (possibly) with TfW connection or again, a old legacy fare.

A quick check of National Rail JP with a few search options selected showed that you can still get, for example, an AP single Bath-Swansea priced by Cross Country.

Bristol Temple Meads to Bristol Parkway is the "booked train"; the rest of the journey is the "& connections" part.

Typical of XC to be stretching it! I always understood that the booked train had to be the furthest/longest section of the journey