Simpler rail fares leave Railcard holders with at least ten different fares for the same journey

Commuters across Greater Manchester with Railcards - including Veterans and 16–25 Railcards - face choosing between at least ten different fares in order to get the best deal when travelling into Manchester from towns like Marple. This is without taking into account the wide range of Season Tickets and Advance Singles that are available.

With the new fares coming into use over the weekend, someone catching the train from Marple to Manchester Piccadilly can expect to pay anywhere between £4.90 and £8.80 for a return trip. Both ends of this range are above how much commuters paid under the previous fare system.

Liberal Democrat campaigner Megan Axon, a Marple resident, said: “It is so disappointing that in many cases rail users are going to end up paying more, between no longer being able to buy Advance Singles on the day and the latest changes across Greater Manchester. This is despite the Government announcing that rail fares would be frozen.”

As a result of many Railcards not being valid before 10am and higher fares during peak hours, the best value for a journey is likely to be made up of a combination of single fares rather than a return ticket. A typical person working between 9am and 5pm will find it significantly cheaper to buy two Anytime Singles - utilising their Railcard discount for their return trip - than buying an Anytime Return ticket.

Megan added: "With many stations across Greater Manchester likely to be waiting a number of years before seeing the benefits of tap-and-go fares, it will be up to the individual commuter to find the best value for their journey.

"There are lots of positives to take from the changes. However, it is clear that we still need improvements to truly simplify fares and to be ready for the rollout of contactless payments. Removing the existing time restrictions on Railcards would be a massive step towards this."