Britain's rail fare system is so absurd, a season ticket is cheaper than a return

The Independent has identified a fares loophole on the West Coast main line that highlights the inconsistency of ticket prices on Britain’s railways, as well as offering travellers the chance to make perfectly legal savings on peak-time, non-stop trains.

Stoke-on-Trent station will be busy over the next four weeks, as campaigners converge on the city for the 23 February by-election triggered by Tristram Hunt’s resignation. Westminster politicians may be impressed by the journey time of just 84 minutes from London Euston to the main station in the Potteries, but alarmed by Virgin Trains' £282 Anytime return fare in Standard Class.

As many rail users know, it can be easy to save money with “split ticketing”: buying two tickets to take advantage of inconsistencies in fares. A to B plus B to C can often cost less than A to C.

Buying one Anytime ticket from London to Milton Keynes (£32.60 return), and a second from there to Stoke (£176 return), reduces the total fare to £208.60 — a saving of 26 per cent.

But split ticketing has a drawback: it is legal only on trains that stop at the intermediate point. And between London and Stoke, many services are non-stop.

The Independent can reveal that for more flexibility and a bigger saving, there is another, cheaper option: buy a seven-day season ticket between Milton Keynes and Crewe. At £172.50 it is £3.50 cheaper than an Anytime return from Milton Keynes to Stoke, even though it is valid for unlimited journeys on a wide range of routes over the course of a week.

Passengers who buy a season between Milton Keynes and Crewe and an Anytime ticket from London to Milton Keynes can travel on non-stop trains between Euston and Stoke, even if the train is going nowhere near Crewe; Virgin trains from London to Stoke bypass Crewe en route to Manchester.

Nor need the passenger ever to go to Crewe. But just one return journey using the season ticket will save over 27 per cent - or £76.90 - compared with a single-use Anytime return ticket to or from Stoke.

Mark Smith, a career railwayman who founded the seat61.com website, said: “I knew a weekly season was the best option for even just two round trips between Manchester and London in the same week, but this would be the first time I've seen one cheaper than one round trip.

“Season ticket fares are regulated wherever they existed under British Rail in 1995, and are broadly limited to inflation. Meanwhile, Virgin have done exactly what every airline did starting some 30 years ago, and introduced very low yield-managed advance fares while raising full-flex to business traveller-only prices.

“That brings commercially-set unregulated fares into conflict with regulated seasons.”

A spokesperson for Virgin Trains said: “This highlights what a great deal our seven-day tickets are. With many different types of fare on offer there is sometimes the odd unusual discrepancy. We’re working hard to minimise these and ensure a suitable pricing structure is in place while offering the best value and flexibility for all of our customers.”

Barry Doe, who writes for Rail magazine and is regarded as the nation’s leading expert on rail fares, said: “I think this is a case of an artificially low season ticket historically that the Department for Transport won’t allow them to increase.”

The seven-day ticket also allows unlimited journeys on several different lines under the “Any Permitted Route” principle, allowing the traveller to visit Northampton, Birmingham, Stafford and dozens of other stations at no extra cost during the course of a week.

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