[AMcWhirter]

I ask because the busy London-Manchester route, frequented by both business and leisure travellers, is almost unique is having low fares for the leisure- but very high fares for the corporate market.

It all dates back to the days of Virgin Trains when the latter, as did the airlines at that time, exploited the business travel market.

But as we know travel patterns have changed since Virgin Trains began operating the West Coast Mainline in the late 1990s.

Yet Virgin Trains continues to charge £340 for a return flexible peak time standard class ticket. Yet the flexible traveller, one who perhaps is able to travel off-peak, can pay *10 per cent* of that price – see BBC News link at the end.

Now we have the situation where no fewer than three rail operators want to break Avanti’s monopoly between Manchester, the Manchester area and London Euston.

Virgin Trains wants to return to WCML and compete ‘open access’ with Avanti

I started the above thread last May when both Virgin Trains and Lumo (First Group) has applied to regulator ORR to start open access operations.

Today we find that TOC London and Northwestern wants to extend its current London-Crewe stopping service to Manchester.

https://www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/about-us/news-desk/new-manchester-london-train-service-proposal-unveiled-london-northwestern

Of course ORR will not make any decision until after the election.

Labour has promised to nationalise the TOCs (these are the ones who hold the individual rail franchises) in due course (although some are already owned by the gov’t as we have reported many times).

But the fate of open access operators is unclear.

Labour shadow transport minister Louise Hague recently visited Hull Trains’ HQ and this open access firm proudly posted a video of the occasion on X/Twitter.

In the video Louise praised open access operators for their standards and the fact they serve communities which have been neglected by the TOCs.

So make of that what you will.

Today’s BBC report on rail fares.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czk070mz8zlo

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