Last month it was announced that 49 more stations in southeast England would be enabled for contactless travel starting on 14th December. 20 of those stations have just been withdrawn from the rollout after Greater Anglia discovered "issues" that could have prevented the technology from working as intended. But the new fares accompanying this change are being introduced tomorrow anyway, at all 49 stations, introducing changes that rail companies generally aren't shouting about. [map]
1) Single tickets will cost half of a return ticket
Today a single fare generally costs more than half of a return fare. From tomorrow it'll cost exactly half whether you buy a paper ticket or tap in. This means the contactless system doesn't need to remember whether you're coming or going - all legs cost the same.
Examples of Off-Peak Day Return fares from London terminals
station
fare today
fare tomorrow
change
Aylesbury
£31.30
£14.70+£14.70=£29.40
↓£1.90
Chelmsford
£28.10
£12.90+£12.90=£25.80
↓£2.30
Dorking
£15.50
£7.90+£7.90=£15.80
↑30p
E Grinstead
£21.40
£9.90+£9.90=£19.80
↓£1.60
Luton
£21.10
£10.50+£10.50=£21.00
↓10p
Reigate
£15.80
£7.60+£7.60=£15.20
↓60p
Most of the changes are quite small and most are in passengers' favour. The largest saving I've found is on a day return to Witham which'll be £2.90 cheaper tomorrow. So far so good.
2) Evening peak times will apply 16:00 to 19:00, Monday to Friday, from or via a London station.
Previously the return portion of an off-peak return could be used on any train out of London. Now it can't be used for trains departing London between 4pm and 7pm on weekdays. If you try using contactless during the evening peak you'll be charged a peak fare instead. This is bad news for people living outside London returning home in the evening (but won't affect London residents going the other way).
For example, suppose you're travelling into London and back from Stevenage.
» Currently an Off-Peak Return costs £22.80 and you can return on any train.
» From next week an Off-Peak Return costs £20.00 but you can't travel home between 1600 and 1859.
» If you use contactless for the same journey it'll now cost £10.00 into London but £14.40 back out in the evening.
» That's a total of £24.40, i.e. £1.60 more than you'd have paid last week.
In general, avoid peak travel out of London and you'll be paying less for your Off-Peak Return next week. Travel home in the peak and you'll be paying more.
3) Super Off-Peak tickets will no longer be available
Not all routes have Super Off-Peak fares but those that do are losing them tomorrow. This will affect Thameslink, Great Northern and Greater Anglia services. Returns on these lines are cheaper at weekends. Greater Anglia additionally offer Super Off-Peak fares on weekday trains arriving into Liverpool Street after 12 noon. But not any more, all gone, it's ordinary Off-Peak Returns only.
Examples of vanishing Super Off-Peak Return fares from London terminals
station
Super Off-Peak fare today
Off-Peak fare tomorrow
change
Baldock
£19.10
£22.60
↑£3.50
Bishops Stortford
£23.30
£27.80
↑£4.50
Harlington
£19.10
£24.40
↑£5.30
Southend Victoria
£24.50
£26.80
↑£2.30
Witham
£32.10
£35.00
↑£2.90
That's an increase of anything between 10% and 25% when travelling at the weekend. The removal of Super Off-Peak tickets is the biggest loss in this fare rationalisation project.
It also introduces some ridiculous anomalies. For example you can still get a Super Off-Peak fare to Bedford, two stops beyond the new contactless limit. This means that from tomorrow it'll be £2 dearer to go to Harlington at the weekend than to go 12 miles further to Bedford.
And it all starts tomorrow, even on lines where contactless won't now be introduced before next summer. So think before you tap.
