A two-year initiative to “simplify fares” and increase passenger appeal for rail travel has been introduced by LNER.

The new pilot program, which is applicable to trips between London King’s Cross and Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Edinburgh, intends to eliminate complex ticket types by reducing the current 11 options to six—three in first class and three in standard class.

Customers can travel on other LNER trains up to 70 minutes before or after their scheduled journey with the new, semi-flexible “70min Flex” ticket, which is part of the pricing structure. This is on top of the fully-flexible Anytime and fixed Advance fares.

LNER streamlined its fares.
Beginning on February 5th, tickets will be available for purchase. Additionally, LNER will be discontinuing its Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak fares on the same day.

The program expands on the single leg ticketing that was introduced last year and allows users to mix and match their fares over the majority of the LNER network. There were twenty-three ticket options available before this latest upgrade.

LNER’s managing director, David Horne, stated:
“LNER remains at the forefront of rail reform. Simplifying fares is vital in making rail travel more attractive. Customers tell us they find fares confusing.

“This exciting new pilot is the next step in our plans to overhaul complicated and outdated ticketing options and we look forward to hearing feedback from our customers. We believe that making fares simpler, smarter, and fairer, while introducing value for money and modern flexibility, will encourage more people to choose to travel by rail, the most sustainable travel choice.”

The rail operator also referenced a poll conducted by the Rail Delivery Group, an industry association, which revealed that 35% of those who are able to travel by train are deterred from doing so because they are having trouble figuring out the correct ticket.