Great Western Coffee Shop

In many cases, the walkup "Off Peak"/"Off Peak Day" fare is too high, and the cheapest Advance is dirt cheap.

e.g. London to Manchester. Advance: from ^8. Cheapest walk-up daytime fare ^66. (There is also a ^64 fare for night travel)

Many journey options don't have off peak singles. Many don't have Super Off-Peak fares.

Should this change? Or is it good to have dirt cheap" fares for people looking at budget travel.

The train companies should reduce the quantity of advance purchase fares, and by lowering the price of off-peak or introducing super-off peak fares should encourage impulse buying and not penalise people for buying on the day.

Yes, definately.  I doubt they will though is advance fares allow the TOC to control the number of people traveling on a specific train and at the some time make a bit of money out of people that for any reason don't book in advance.

It probably is sensible to have a range of fares, with the more expensive ones giving greater flexibility and travel at times that the travel is expensive to provide (i.e. peak times, with the flow) ... and perhaps to have a loyalty scheme to give quantity discount for regular travel (no matter if it's always on the same route, and no matter if you're aged over 26 and under 55).

But the current system that offers 27 different single fares Melksham to London when the service is just two trains a day frankly brings the whole fare structure into disrepute - and it drops further into disrepute when you realise that a split ticket can save you significant amounts of money, and further again when you realise just how much more cheaply you can travel from a station just six miles up the road and with a decent service to boot!

That's the other thing. Peak and Off-Peak.

If you are travelling against the commuter flow, why do you have to pay for Peak tickets?

You don't in all cases.  I can travel to London in the evening peak against the peak flow on an off peak ticket.

I mean in the morning.

It's not that easy though as if you travel from London to Bristol against the London commuter flow then you will be in the Bristol commuter flow and so would need a peak ticket.

Slightly aside,

I pay to go to work from Taunton - Frome, ^13.05 for a FC Off Peak Day Return with my railcard. I can use that ticket on the 08:51 via Bristol (Much Slower) or the 09:19 Via Castle Cary (Much Faster). However, If I wanted to travel up on the 07:08 via Castle Cary, A FC Anytime Day Return with railcard discount is ^26.65!!! >:( :o

Thats a difference of ^13.60 Which, even though I do like to travel First, I simply cannot justify the extra cost for a 25 minute journey! I personally dont see the point in peak ticket restrictions on the 07:08 as I've had an entire Standard Class carriage to myself and when travelling further, have had an entire First Class carriage to myself from Taunton - Westbury!

Cynical view - because it arrives where you want to go in time for you to do a day's work, so you're likely to have to pay.  "More income for the train company". 

I appreciate that in your case they may actually loose income by having you pay slightly less and making this journey in standard ... but this a "big picture" thing.

The reason that service is queit is because everybody is on the following 0600 Plymouth - Paddington which is much faster and overtakes at Westbury. The 0708 from Taunton feeds the 0719 from Totnes and Tivertonm whilst also serving the Berks and Hants route.

The Coffee-shop is sitting on the fence about Advanced fares!

Cynical view - because it arrives where you want to go in time for you to do a day's work, so you're likely to have to pay.  "More income for the train company". 

I appreciate that in your case they may actually loose income by having you pay slightly less and making this journey in standard ... but this a "big picture" thing.
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I agree with you to a certain degree. Ideally I would be on the 07:08 to work everyday. But I buy an Off Peak First Class Day Return for travel on the 09:19. A later start and later finish, which I don't mind.

Lets assume I take the 07:08 to work. I'll buy the Standard Class ticket at Approx ^11 However, If I go on the 09:19 Service, I'll buy the FC Ticket at ^13.05 Over 4 Days a week, thats an extra ^8.20, Over 48 Weeks thats ^393.60

Bearing in mind that the 09:19 is a much busier train than the 07:08... Nobody in their right mind would pay around ^26 for a FC return from Taunton - Frome, even if they went via Bristol! FGW's Loss really ::)

I don't think it is a case of fence sitting - there are just two quite opposing points of view.

1. The regular traveler who gets stung for the highest possible fare that the TOC can screw out of him, because he has to be in London, Bristol, etc, etc by 0900 every day and wishes to return home at 1700.
2. The irregular traveler who can buy ahead and make use of the incredibly good value that is available if you are willing to travel when the TOC wants and not (within reason !) when you want.

I came (to some extent) under category 1, when I was working. With the very advantageous aid that my employer paid for my First Class ticket. The cost of the tickets was quite appalling !
Now I am retired and am under category 2, I have a Railcard and have the Flexibility to use the Advance tickets to my complete advantage.

The question should be: "Would reducing/scrapping the number of Advance tickets reduce fares for the peak time traveler?"

Be honest - what do you think ?    There is only one answer !

How about making a rule that for a peak or any other ticket restriction to be enforceable it has to be simple enough to be printed on a single line on the front of the ticket itself?