Train operators accused of 'sharp practice' over tickets

Britain's flagship long-distance train operators were accused of "sharp practice" yesterday over special-offer tickets that apply only to a tiny proportion of seats.

On some services operated by Great North Eastern Railways (GNER) between Edinburgh and London, the heavily discounted fares cover fewer than 10 seats out of 300, according to leaders of the Rail Passengers' Council (RPC). Last night, the company did not deny that the proportion could be so low.

The council demanded "greater transparency" from GNER and other long-haul companies, which have refused to divulge how many such tickets, often referred to as Apex, are available.

Launching a submission on fares to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), Phil Wilks, senior policy adviser at the RPC, said the council received "thousands" of complaints about the availability of discount fares. "Often there are only single-figure numbers on services. It is sharp practice. The turn-up-and-go railway is disappearing in favour of the book-in-advance system. But often you can't get tickets at the price they have been quoted at. It puts people's backs up. What we want is transparency."

The submission to the SRA, which reported worse punctuality and soaring complaints by passengers yesterday, criticises fares for being "too high, too complex and too confusing".

A spokesman for GNER defended the company's policy on discounted fares. "The airlines do exactly the same and spend far more publishing the fact," he said. "Passengers will make up their own minds whether they want to travel at the price being offered."