The Megatrain hits the UK

Sarsfield

Stagecoach are starting a low-fares train service. From the website it's London/Southampton/Portsmouth only at the moment. Fares from £1.

http://www.rte.ie/business/2005/1031/stagecoach.html

http://www.megatrain.com

I wonder what will Iarnrod Eireann bosses think, especially with Ryanair taking them on between Dublin & Cork. Can't imagine it won't be noticed by free-marketeer Government types either.

I wonder what the 'designated area on some of its existing trains' as referred to in the RTE report will be like? Standing and holding on to overhead straps for 2hr trips?

Victor

3,000 seats a week isn't a whole lot. Thats 500 a day, if a train makes 7 trips (some more some less) a day thats 71 seats = 1 carriage spread over their entire franchise

RuggieBear

Sarsfield wrote:

I wonder what the 'designated area on some of its existing trains' as referred to in the RTE report will be like? Standing and holding on to overhead straps for 2hr trips?

isn't that a typical sunday evening scenario anyway...

Sarsfield

RuggieBear wrote:

isn't that a typical sunday evening scenario anyway...

jrey1981

Great in principle but looking at the timetable on the website, for example, leaving Southampton at 0955 gets you into London at 1255 - I cant understand that as it should be a 90 minute journey...I used to live in Southampton

Have used the megabus before from Southampton before which was similarly cheap

MarkoP11

Sarsfield wrote:

I wonder what will Iarnrod Eireann bosses think, especially with Ryanair taking them on between Dublin & Cork. Can't imagine it won't be noticed by free-marketeer Government types either.

Plans already exist to introduce yield management online booking so those who travel at off peak times pay less, you probably won't see €1 singles but there was an €20 return offer to Cork a while back.

Once Dublin Cork goes hourly next year the fun begins you will still pay full wack on peak times but those willing to travel at quiet times should get a better price if they book in advance it should shift some people away from Friday evening that said demand will outstrip supply

I wouldn't worry about Ryanair they haven't got the capacity or frequency to gain more than a single digit share in the market

John R

Sarsfield wrote:

I wonder what will Iarnrod Eireann bosses think, especially with Ryanair taking them on between Dublin & Cork. Can't imagine it won't be noticed by free-marketeer Government types either.

I doubt IE are terribly concerned, the cheap bus services from Bus Eireann and Aircoach on the Dublin to Cork and Belfast have not had much effect. Ryanair aren't exactly dirt cheap on the route either, Taxes and charges alone for Dublin - Cork return add up to over €43 so even €5 fares each way make them a similar price to IE with the added restrictions of advance booking/no flexibility and the cost/inconvenience of travel to airports it is not really much of a threat to IE at present.

Sarsfield wrote:

I wonder what the 'designated area on some of its existing trains' as referred to in the RTE report will be like? Standing and holding on to overhead straps for 2hr trips?

Looking at the timetable, there is no fear of overcrowding. They are very much off-peak and the Southampton trains are semi-fast services which depart 5 minutes after the fast trains that are 20mns quicker.

It is obviously just a pilot project to see what effect low fares have on usage and standard ticket sales, if it costs them revenue due to a significant drop in regular ticket travellers it will be dropped pretty quickly.

Remember it is not a competing train service, Stagecoach run all the trains on both these lines.

Virgin trains have had advance-booking low fares offers on all their inter-city routes for several years now. London to Birmingham, Manchester or Liverpool fares are from about £7 each way.

I expect IE will offer similar fares when they actually have enough off-peak capacity to justify running such a scheme.