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MyTrainTicket Press Releases
All of our press releases and announcements can be found on this page.
Press Release Summary
- Partnership to reduce rail suicides
- Festival Tickets for a pound?
- Brits pay over the odds - 71% buy train tickets at the station and not in advance
- Students could save a combined £13m by booking train tickets in advance for journey home at Christmas
- Britain's railway network is well ahead of Europe in embracing Wi-Fi
- Online rail ticketing set for shake-up
Partnership to reduce rail suicides
July 2012
Consumer rail ticketing site MyTrainTicket has partnered with helpline charity Samaritans, to raise funds for Samaritans' life-saving work in supporting people who feel they have nowhere else to turn.
By donating 10p from every booking fee to Samaritans, MyTrainTicket will be assisting Samaritans in their ongoing efforts to provide 24/7 support to people in times of trouble, throughout the UK & Ireland. This includes reaching out to vulnerable people, raising awareness of the charity and helping to break down the societal barriers surrounding emotional welfare.
Simon Grant-Rennick, Chairman of MyTrainTicket said: "We're very pleased to be supporting Samaritans and their vital work in helping people deal with personal crises. It's a sad fact that more than 200 people per year take their own lives on UK railways, and being part of the rail industry we feel strongly about helping Samaritans to reduce this number."
Samaritans' Executive Director of Fundraising and Communications, Rachel Kirby-Rider said: "Without support from companies like MyTrainTicket we wouldn't be able to deliver our round the clock service and we look forward to working with them over the coming year."
Festival Tickets for a pound?
May 2011 - The National Student
The popularity of festivals has rocketed since the first two-day Glastonbury Festival was held in 1970, the day after Jimi Hendrix died. There were 1,500 visitors, each paying the princely sum of £1 – although this did include free milk from the local farm.
Today, it’s a much more commercial enterprise. With many of the bigger festivals selling out almost as soon as tickets are available, you’re resigned to the fact that you’ll be spending interminable hours online or on the phone. Keeping 20 different windows open at once for a real-time check of prices and availability, it gets to the stage where, rather than risk losing out altogether, you end up paying through the nose. After all, it’s a safer bet than taking your chances with touts.
So, you’ve finally got your tickets; hassle over. Or is it? Imagine being stuck in a traffic jam, watching the excitement melt off your friends’ faces as the minutes tick by and you realise you’ll be left camping outside the toilets.
Make it easier on yourself. Get the train. After all, you’ve spent an age getting your tickets for the festival, so why not spend another 10 minutes getting your travel plans sorted? You can save up to 80% if you book cheap Advance tickets with MyTrainTicket.co.uk, available up to 12 weeks before the date of travel.
Get yourself a 16-25 Railcard and save an additional 34%. Let’s look at that in real terms:-
Festival Fares (sourced: Weds 27th April 2011)
You’ll get there earlier because trains don’t get stuck in traffic jams. In fact, train operators have got wise to the festival schedule and often lay on extra services, with most venues also offering transport direct from the local station to the festival ground.
Festival prices are now a little bit more than £1, and this time there’s no free milk – spend your money on being at the festival, rather than getting there. And if you’re lucky, you might just find yourself a nice quiet coach on the train home, to catch up on all that lost sleep….
Why not catch up with your friends over the summer? Here are some examples of the huge savings available from MyTrainTicket (sourced 4th May for travel on 20th July).
Brits pay over the odds by 71% buying train tickets at the station and not in advance
April 2011
ComRes research reveals half of leisure train tickets are bought at the station
70% of Brits admit to being shocked at cost of 'walk-up' fares
Change of mindset needed as people increasingly switch from plane to train
MyTrainTicket.co.uk finds average £81* saving by booking in advance
Half of all leisure rail users leave buying their tickets until they arrive at the station, according to a national survey. Buying a 'walk-up' fare is the most expensive way of travelling by train and often results in paying several times more than passengers who book in advance.
A ComRes poll of more than 2,000 people, sponsored by train ticketing website MyTrainTicket.co.uk, reveals 49% routinely miss out on savings of up to 88% available by booking in advance. Leaving ticket-buying to the last minute results in a nasty surprise for rail users with 70% admitting to being shocked at the cost of buying at the station.
This insight into ticket-buying habits comes when rail's market share for domestic city-to-city travel is increasing. Earlier this month, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) revealed that during 2010 rail accounted for 44% of journeys on the 10 most popular domestic air routes - up from 29% in 2006. This represents an extra two million train journeys on those routes alone.
But while more people are choosing rail over plane journeys, they are not mirroring the early purchasing of tickets that is commonplace for air travel. In fact, the MyTrainTicket.co.uk survey suggests a lack of awareness about advance-fare discounts because three-quarters (76%) said they would book in advance if savings were available. This is far more than actually do so.
Alistair Lees, managing director of MyTrainTicket.co.uk, said: "Half of all rail passengers are paying over the odds for leisure journeys such as going away for the weekend by train
"A simple guide for leisure train travel is that the earlier you book your ticket, the bigger the saving available. Leaving it until you arrive at the station means you can end up paying several times more than the person sitting next to you in the carriage.
The cheapest rail fares are available 12 weeks in advance when the train operating companies release their timetables. However, Advance fares with significant savings are often available right up to the day before travel.
MyTrainTicket.co.uk compared Advance fares with the cheapest on-the-day fares on the top 10 city-to-city air routes in Britain and found that booking in advance saved between 48% and 88%. The average per-journey saving was 71% which in cash terms is a saving of £81.29 - per journey.
Despite these savings, the ComRes survey offered a revealing contrast between booking habits for air and rail travel. Three-quarters of those questioned say they book plane tickets in advance with 'saving money' the most common reason (43%) given for doing so.
Alistair Lees added: "A change of mindset is needed when buying train tickets. People need to get into the habit of booking train tickets in advance, just as they do with hotels and plane tickets.
"There can be a temptation if it is only a couple of days to go until travelling to think 'I'll just get them at the station'. People need to understand that this approach leads to the shock they then experience at the ticket office so it is always worth trying to get an Advance fare."
For the best fares and information about train travel and services, visit www.MyTrainTicket.co.uk.
*The 71% (£81) calculation was based on an average figure across the 10 most popular city-to-city routes in Great Britain, according to Civil Aviation Authority figures. These are: London-Edinburgh; London-Manchester; London-Glasgow; London-Newcastle; London-Aberdeen; Bristol-Edinburgh; Birmingham-Edinburgh; London-Inverness; Birmingham-Glasgow; Bristol-Glasgow.
Students could save a combined £13m by booking train tickets in advance for journey home at Christmas
December 2010
Average savings of £24 per person for end of term exodus from University
Guaranteed seat reservations with many tickets to avoid standing for long journeys
University students could save themselves a combined £13m by booking train tickets home for their Christmas break now, rather than waiting to buy tickets on the day of travel, according to research from online train ticket retailer MyTrainTicket.co.uk.
More than 1.1 million UK undergraduate students will be returning from their universities to their family homes for the holidays when term ends, with hundreds of thousands travelling by train. Failure to book ahead will result in students paying several times more for the same journey than those who secured the best discounts with advance fares, which are available up to 12 weeks in advance.
MyTrainTicket.co.uk examined some typical student journeys (see below) and found an average saving of £23.93 is currently available for journeys made with a 16-25 Railcard (formerly a Young Persons Railcard). Assuming half the undergraduate population opts for the train, the saving from booking tickets just a few weeks ahead equates to a staggering £13.16 million - and that's just the saving at the start of the Christmas break.
Example journeys and savings:
Edinburgh Waverley to Birmingham New Street, Saturday 18 December 2010
• Advance fare with 16-25 Railcard - £25.10
• Cheapest walk up fare (Anytime) with 16-25 Railcard - £64.35
• Saving - £39.25
Cardiff Central to London Paddington, Saturday 18 December 2010
• Advance fare with 16-25 Railcard - £13.85
• Cheapest walk up fare (Super Off-Peak) with 16-25 Railcard - £23.10
• Saving - £9.25
Leeds to Bristol Temple Meads, Saturday 11 December 2010
• Advance fare with 16-25 Railcard - £21.45
• Cheapest walk up fare (Anytime) with 16-25 Railcard - £55.45
• Saving - £34.00
Nottingham to Manchester Piccadilly, Saturday 11 December 2010
• Advance fare with 16-25 Railcard - £7.90
• Cheapest walk up fare (Off-Peak) with 16-25 Railcard - £12.10
• Saving - £4.20
Canterbury West to Leicester, Saturday 18 December 2010
• Advance fare with 16-25 Railcard - £13.85
• Cheapest walk up fare (Super Off-Peak) with 16-25 Railcard - £44.95
• Saving - £31.10
London to Sheffield, Saturday 18 December 2010
• Advance fare with 16-25 Railcard - £13.20
• Cheapest walk up fare (Super Off-Peak) with 16-25 Railcard - £38.95
• Saving - £25.75
Average saving £23.93
All journeys compare the lowest price Advance fare available for purchase on Monday 6 December, compared with buying the cheapest walk-up fare on the day of travel; we have assumed that students will want to travel home on the Saturday or Sunday following the end of term and this has been chosen to reflect the different end of term dates for each university. Fares quoted are available on two or more reasonably-timed trains on the date of travel and often many more. All comparisons for a single journey.
Commenting on the findings, Alistair Lees, managing director of MyTrainTicket.co.uk, said: "Student finances are under even more pressure than usual as a result of the troubled economic climate, so paying more than necessary for the journey home when savings are readily available makes no sense at all.
"Whilst the best value train fares are released up to 12 weeks ahead, this just goes to show how many good value discounted fares are still available, even for travel only a week or two ahead. The message is clear though: don't leave it to the last minute to buy your train tickets, as you'll be wasting your money if you do. Book your tickets as soon as possible and save money as well as getting a reserved seat - making that journey home comfortable and relaxing, with no danger of standing for a long journey."
Alistair Lees added: "The longer the journey, the bigger the saving to be made - for example, booking a journey on Saturday 18 December from Leuchars (the nearest station to the University of St Andrews) to London Kings Cross in advance reduces the fare with a 16-25 Railcard from £72.65 to just £36.65, a saving of £36.00.
"With a heavy workload towards the end of term it's easy to forget about booking the ticket home, especially for first years who haven't had to worry about it before, but these savings show just how important it is to book ahead."
For the best fares, visit www.MyTrainTicket.co.uk.
Britain's railway network is well ahead of Europe in embracing Wi-Fi
December 2010
National Express East Anglia is the latest operator to make Wi-Fi available to passengers
Onboard Wi-Fi encourages more passengers to travel by train
The extent to which Britain's railway network is outstripping Europe in delivering onboard Wi-Fi has been highlighted by National Express East Anglia's (NXEA) confirmation that its passengers will be the latest to benefit from the service in the New Year.
The widespread availability of onboard Wi-Fi, which is frequently identified as key to encouraging more people to switch to travel by rail for domestic journeys, is illustrated by a new map produced by train ticketing website MyTrainTicket.co.uk. The map includes the NXEA route between London and Norwich, which is introducing the service early next year, and the NXEA-operated Stansted Express, on which the technology will be available from May.
Where Wi-Fi is offered, the service is available on either all or most trains - giving all passengers the option of accessing the internet for business or leisure use while travelling. In contrast, provision in Europe is much patchier. Italy, Spain, Ireland, Holland and Austria have no (or very limited) on train Wi-Fi while coverage in France, Germany and Belgium is limited to a small number of train services.
In France, for example, 10% to 15% of TGVs have been refurbished to offer the technology, but it is not possible for passengers to know in advance whether Wi-Fi will be available on a particular route as trains are not allocated to services until the day in question.
Germany has the fullest coverage of Britain's near neighbours with on-train coverage focused on routes connecting Frankfurt, Germany's main business centre, with Hamburg in the north of the country, Munich in the south and Cologne in the west. However, as is the case in France, Wi-Fi is only available on the latest upgraded trains. No trains serving the east of the country, which includes the capital city Berlin, offer the service.
MyTrainTicket.co.uk's map shows Britain does have some gaps in provision, with the most obvious long-distance examples being London to the South West and South Wales, operated by First Great Western, and the CrossCountry network linking the South West and South of England with the North West and Scotland, via Birmingham.
Alistair Lees, Managing Director of MyTrainTicket.co.uk, said: "Wi-Fi, along with other onboard services, is increasingly identified by passengers as an important reason for choosing rail over other forms of transport.
"Just as Britain led the way in establishing railways in the Industrial Revolution, so the train companies are now at the forefront of the digital revolution, giving passengers the ability to access the internet, emails, media and games while travelling by train. Britain is well ahead of its European counterparts."
The cost of accessing onboard Wi-Fi, where it is available, varies considerably. While all Train Operating Companies (TOCs) with onboard Wi-Fi provide unlimited access for free to First Class passengers, only three extend this to Standard Class: Wrexham & Shropshire, Grand Central and Heathrow Express, which connects the airport with London Paddington. Elsewhere the charge for Standard Class passengers varies from £2.95 per journey to £5 for an hour.
Standard Class passengers face a £5 charge for 60 minutes access onboard Virgin Trains, or a pay-as-you-go facility at 75p per 10 minutes for T-Mobile customers. East Coast provides 15 minutes for free with any further access incurring a flat £4.95 charge. In contrast, passengers travelling between London and York with rival operator Grand Central, instead of East Coast, can enjoy free Wi-Fi access for the duration of their journey.
East Midlands charges a flat £4 fee which entitles the user to three hours Wi-Fi access, NXEA will be charging £2.95 per journey on its trains between London and Norwich and on the Stansted Express route connecting the airport with London Liverpool Street.
Alistair Lees added: "Onboard Wi-Fi represents a useful additional revenue stream for train companies, which are, after all, commercial operators. Most importantly, though, it is attractive to customers who might otherwise travel by air or car and who can now make use of the journey to catch up on emails, do some work or simply browse the internet. For business customers in particular it is a boon."
For the best fares and information about onboard services including Wi-Fi, visit www.MyTrainTicket.co.uk.
Online rail ticketing set for shake-up
New entrant www.MyTrainTicket.co.uk aims to make buying train tickets online easier and quicker
Exclusive partnership with Airmiles enables passengers to collect Airmiles when they book UK train travel
Monday 19th April 2010 - A new rail ticketing website - www.MyTrainTicket.co.uk - has been launched today promising a shake-up in the market for rail tickets sold online, currently dominated by thetrainline.com.
From today passengers booking their tickets online with MyTrainTicket.co.uk can collect one Airmile for every £10 they spend on train tickets.
MyTrainTicket.co.uk offers rail passengers a significantly-improved online booking experience. It enables passengers to quickly find the right balance between price, ticket flexibility, journey time and on-train facilities such as WiFi and catering. While price will always be important, passengers place a great deal of importance on these aspects of the journey too - something that is often ignored by other online retailers.
MyTrainTicket.co.uk simplifies the ticket buying experience with 'one-click' access to the best fares by price as well as by route, showing all available Advance, Off Peak and Anytime fares on one page. And, to remove a particular passenger irritation, the website shows clearly where two singles are cheaper than a return. Other MyTrainTicket.co.uk innovations include the ability to add a Plusbus ticket - giving unlimited bus and tram travel within the urban area of your destination - for over 275 towns and cities across the country. Business and leisure passengers can now reduce their carbon footprint further, and save money, by not having to jump in a taxi for the 'final mile'.
Over the next few months the website will be further enhanced with additional information on facilities at train stations which will be particularly useful for passengers with specific needs, such as the elderly and those with disabilities.
Robin Wells, Executive Chairman, said:
"We are excited about the challenge of developing the rail ticketing market and encouraging more people to book train tickets online. In a near-monopoly marketplace choice is limited and MyTrainTicket.co.uk offers a new opportunity for people to book train tickets online and enjoy a better customer experience. Passengers appreciate the value of competition and we believe our innovative partnership with Airmiles will encourage more people to book online and to travel by train, helping to reduce traffic on the roads.
"Our vision is to transform the online rail ticketing market using our market-leading experience in delivering mobile and print at home tickets, which use barcode technology. The rail ticket market is worth an estimated £6 billion, yet currently less than 15% of rail tickets are purchased online; there is huge potential to replicate the transformation achieved in online ticketing for airlines, where more than 50% of tickets are purchased online. To help drive this transformation and to grow the market further we have significantly improved the quality of the online booking experience and invested in the latest technology. Our website is set up to accommodate a national roll-out of mobile, self print and Smartcard tickets as they are made available on routes by train operators."
Airmiles Director, Andrea Burchett said:
"We know that our Airmiles members love to travel and use trains on a regular basis. This new partnership with MyTrainTicket.co.uk represents a great opportunity for our members to collect Airmiles as they book their train travel to use on future travel and leisure rewards that we offer."
Rail travellers collecting Airmiles on their rail ticket purchases can also collect Airmiles using a Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo Credit Card account; through shopping at Tesco and exchanging Clubcard vouchers; purchasing fuel at Shell and opting into Airmiles; and from 200 popular online brands when accessed via airmiles.co.uk eStore - including johnlewis.com, Debenhams.com, Apple store and eBay.co.uk. Airmiles can be used for free flights that include all airline taxes, fees and surcharges, Eurostar journeys, hotel accommodation, tour operator holidays, car hire, and special days out including Legoland, Alton Towers and English Heritage annual passes.
Mr Wells added:
"Passengers buying rail tickets in advance through MyTrainTicket.co.uk can save up to 80% compared to buying at the station on the day of travel. Our significantly improved booking experience is better than anything which already exists and our positive dialogue with the Train Operating Companies suggests the future looks bright for some major technological advances in online ticketing."
For further information, please visit www.MyTrainTicket.co.uk.