East Midlands Trains has announced that its new ticket prices, effective from 2 January 2010, will significantly reduce the cost of travel for many passengers.
Fare changes across UK rail network lowest since privatisation
Fares across the UK rail network will rise below the expected rate of inflation, the lowest increase since privatisation.
Passengers are also continuing to benefit from improved services and on-going investment at East Midlands Trains, with more than 90% of trains running on time, and eight out of 10 passengers satisfied with their train service.
Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains, explains: “We have put together a fair package for our passengers, which includes some significant price cuts. The average fare increase of 1.8% at East Midlands Trains is one of the lowest for many years and we are committed to playing our part in providing affordable rail travel.
Car parking charges frozen or reduced in new package of price cuts
Thousands of drivers will also benefit from the company’s plan to freeze or cut car-parking prices as part of the new package.
New East Midlands Trains website offers Best Fare Finder tool
“We recently launched our new website featuring a fantastic Best Fare Finder tool, ensuring our passengers can find the cheapest available fare every time. Thousands of our customers have already taken advantage of this new service.
Nearly 75% of passengers travel using a discounted ticket
“Rail travel delivers good value for money compared with cars and three out of four passengers using our services travel on a discounted ticket. Around 95% of the cost of a rail ticket is used to pay for running and investing in our train services. By continuing to run a high quality, efficient and punctual railway, we have been able to deliver even better value for money to our passengers”.
The new rail fare package will include:
- Cuts to the price of most Standard Class season tickets
- Car parking prices frozen at all stations, and reduced at Lincoln (for all users) and East Midlands Parkway (for non-rail users)
- First Class Off-Peak fares frozen or reduced by up to 20%
- First Class Anytime fares from Sheffield and Chesterfield to London frozen at current levels
- Advance Purchase Leisure fares frozen or reduced by up to 20%
- New trial First Class Super Off-Peak fares from Nottingham, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough and Leicester to London, offering savings of up to 35%
- In addition, East Midlands Trains has committed to maintaining its £1 discount on Advance tickets purchased through its website.
Meanwhile, research by Stagecoach Group’s budget rail service megatrain.com shows that canny Britons are beating the recession by snapping up cheap rail deals.