Thursday 17 April 2008
Customers have been quick to recognise the discounts available by booking their journey early and using CrossCountry's new website 'crosscountrytrains.co.uk'. From May, customers are able to make even greater savings on many journeys in both First Class and Standard accommodation. These tickets can be purchased up to 6pm the day before travel, subject to availability which will vary depending on the time of travel, with more offered in off-peak periods when trains are less busy.
Examples of new prices for single Advance fares include:
| From | To | Old cheapest price | New cheapest price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Manchester | £8.00 Standard | £5.50 Standard |
| Birmingham | Manchester | £26.00 First Class | £13.50 First Class |
| Birmingham | Derby | £5.00 Standard | £3.00 Standard |
| Birmingham | Derby | £10.50 First Class | £7.50 First Class |
| Plymouth | Edinburgh | £26.00 Standard | £17.50 Standard |
| Plymouth | Edinburgh | £50.00 First Class | £46.00 First Class |
| Wolverhampton | Reading | £9.00 Standard | £7.50 Standard |
| Wolverhampton | Reading | £31.50 First Class | £17.00 First Class |
For those wishing to enjoy First Class travel, CrossCountry is introducing a new First Class off-peak ticket, the First Saver Return, at prices well below the normal fare.
First Class and Standard single and period return fares will see a small increase averaging 3.1%, and there will be some changes to ticket conditions to make discounted tickets available on less crowded trains.
Standard Season Tickets, Savers, Cheap Day and Standard Day return tickets are not increased and Group travel products and Weekend Upgrades also remain unaltered.
Commenting David Watkin, CrossCountry's Commercial Director, said: "These new advance fares offers huge savings for customers able to book in advance and be flexible about the time they travel.
"Like most train operators we can suffer crowding at peak times on some services, but have spare capacity in the off-peak. Also, too often customers tell us the fares system is complicated and confusing. These measures make it clear when reduced price off-peak tickets can be used and will decrease discounted travel at peak times when our trains are already very busy."
CrossCountry summer Saturday HST services are as follows:
09:41 Newcastle - Newquay
09.40 Newquay - Newcastle
24 May to 6 September (inclusive)
07:24 Manchester - Newquay
15:22 Newquay - Manchester
24/31 May and from 5 July to 30 August (inclusive)
On other summer Saturdays, these trains will be formed of Voyagers.
07:35 Bristol Temple Meads - Paignton
10:32 Paignton - Newcastle
24/31 May and from 5 July to 22 August (inclusive)
On other summer Saturdays, these trains will be formed of Voyagers.
CrossCountry started operating on 11 November 2007. The franchise, which is the most extensive in the UK, will run until 31 March 2016. For further information on CrossCountry services and future franchise plans log on to www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk
STATIONS SERVED: 133
ROUTE MILES: 1,654
WEEKDAY SERVICES: 288
PASSENGERS CARRIED: Over 30 million passenger journeys a year anticipated
ANNUAL TRAIN MILEAGE: Approximately 16 million
EMPLOYEES: Approximately 1,800
LONGEST TRAIN SERVICE: Penzance to Dundee (701 miles)
CrossCountry is part of the Arriva group which operates transport services in ten European countries, employs more than 37,000 people and provides more than one billion passenger journeys every year. For more information about the Arriva group visit www.arriva.co.uk
Select this link to view the Press Release PDF
If your browser does not recognise the file type PDF a free Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from the Adobe website.
CrossCountry Press Office: [email protected]
About CrossCountry
CrossCountry is a long-distance passenger train operator, with a network stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff and calling at over 100 stations. Based in Birmingham, CrossCountry connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities and delivers 240 services every weekday, equating to over 42 million passenger journeys each year.
For further information on CrossCountry services, visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or visit one of our social media platforms via X @crosscountryuk or Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains
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