Virgin Trains simplifies online best fare search

Thursday, 21 Mar, 2007 0

Virgin Trains has developed a new search engine with TheTrainline.com, enabling passengers to identify and buy the best rail fare available quickly on its new website.

Following three years of development, the website will present the cheapest advance purchase – or walk-up – fares which are available for any chosen journey.

No longer are all fares shown, irrespective of whether they are available or not, the company said.

The company has also been trialling TheTrainline.com’s new e-ticketing system – print@home, which it plans to relaunch later this year.

Virgin Trains is to run a major campaign to make rail ticket fares more transparent and raise awareness of the value for money of rail travel.

This follows a recent survey by watchdog Passenger Focus which revealed that only 58% of rail passengers using Virgin Trains services felt they were getting value for money.

Passenger Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: “There are some great deals on fares out there, but many passengers are telling us that the current ticketing system is too complicated to navigate.

“There is a clear need to simplify the way tickets are sold to help passengers take advantage of the cheaper tickets. Any move to simplify websites is a step in the right direction.”

The rail company’s commercial director Graham Leech said: “We’re undertaking a number of activities in the next six months to show people how to find the best value tickets available and how easy it really is to book, particularly online with our new website and search engine.”

by Phil Davies

Phil Davies

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