Measures to make buying rail tickets simpler and easier to understand will be introduced from next month.
Measures to make buying rail tickets simpler and easier to understand will be introduced from next month.
New fare categories mean that rail travellers will only have to choose between three ticket types.
The new fare categories mean rail travellers will only have to choose between three types of ticket - Advance, Off-peak and Anytime.
From May 18, an array of discounted advance purchase fares will be known as Advance fares and railcard discounts will apply on these tickets.
Train operators said the changes follow complaints of what one passenger watchdog described as a "fares jungle".
From September 7, tickets bought on the day of travel will be divided into two groups - Anytime and Off-peak.
But the Campaign for Better Transport urged a fare cut to "make train travel the cheap and easy option".
The Association of Train Operating Companies says the complicated range of tickets currently available is one of the biggest complaints among passengers.
The new system, being brought in by the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc), will cut down on ticket structures that at present mean some train companies have as many as 12 different ticket types.
New ticket names AdvanceOff-peakAnytime
Simplified
At present, some train companies can have as many as 12 different ticket types ranging from full-fare open returns to cut-price book-ahead fares.
Research by passenger watchdog Passenger Focus found fewer than half of passengers either understand the ticket "jungle", or believe they can negotiate it to get best value for money.
"This is the biggest shake-up in the fares and ticketing system for many years and we want passengers to take advantage of it and also encourage more people to take the train," said David Mapp, Atoc commercial director.
So from 18 May, the various names for discounted tickets that are bought in advance - such as Leisure Advance, Business Advance, Value Advance and Apex - will all simply be known as Advance fares.
Old ticket names Leisure advanceApexBusiness advanceValue advanceSaverCheap day returnsSuperSaver
Then from 7 September, tickets that can be bought right up to the date and time of travel will be split into two categories - Anytime and Off-peak.
ATOC said the new ticket structure will not result in price increases and the regulation of fares, including the 40% that are price-capped on an annual basis, is unaffected by the changes.
Anytime tickets can be bought up until the time of travel and used on any train without peak hour or any other restrictions.
Off-peak tickets can also be bought up until the time of travel, but will carry restrictions on the time and day of travel - current ticket types which will be re-named Off-peak tickets include Saver and Cheap Day returns.
New ticket names Advance - discounted, advance-bought ticketsOff-peak - tickets bought up to time of travel, but with restrictionsAnytime - tickets bought up to time of travel with no restrictions
The simplification will be reflected at booking offices and on booking websites.
"This is the biggest shake-up in the fares and ticketing system for many years and we want passengers to take advantage of it and also encourage more people to take the train," said David Mapp, Atoc's commercial director.
Atoc said the new ticket structure will not result in price increases and the regulation of fares, including the 40% that are price-capped on an annual basis, is unaffected by the changes.
But the changes will mean an end to refunds on advance sales and a doubling of the fee for changes to journey times.
The Campaign for Better Transport said it welcomed the new fare structure but urged the government to reduce the cost of rail fares, particularly where last-minute journeys are concerned.
Weeks beforehand
"The real cost of rail fares has increased by 6% in the last 10 years, and government plans mean it will increase further," the campaign's executive director Stephen Joseph said.
Where the cost of last-minute travel is concerned, he went on: "Advance tickets are sometimes cheap but people can't always plan their journeys weeks beforehand.
"The government must make train travel the cheap and easy option if we're going to reduce carbon emissions from transport."
The changes were first outlined in the government's rail White Paper last year.
The changes were first outlined in the government's rail White Paper last year.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said the fare overhaul was a sensible move but said more clarity was needed.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said the fare overhaul was a sensible move but more clarity was needed.
"It would help everyone if train companies made their advance ticket policies public so that travellers were clear about what bargain tickets are available and when and how they can best buy them."
"It would help everyone if train companies made their advance ticket policies public so that travellers were clear about what bargain tickets are available and when and how they can best buy them."
Campaign for Better Transport said it welcomed the new structure but urged the government to take action to reduce the cost of tickets, especially for last-minute journeys.
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