Avanti West Coast has reduced its one way Superfare between London and Birmingham to just £9.
The fare – which was previously £12 one way – enables customers to book a journey for morning, afternoon, or evening slots for a specific date, with the exact time of travel being selected by Avanti.
The operator’s Superfare was launched earlier this year on selected routes, with more than 10,000 customers so far taking advantage of the lower fares.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, Superfare tickets can be bought between 21 and seven days before travel (subject to availability which will vary), and Avanti then matches customers to an empty seat on a quieter train with around 24 hours’ notice – so flexibility is a must.
Avanti says that of those Superfare customers surveyed, two thirds said they either would not have travelled, or would have done so by a different mode of transport if it wasn’t for the fare.
The list of Superfare prices is currently £9 between London and Birmingham, £12 for Stafford, £14 for Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent, £15 for Liverpool, Runcorn and Warrington Bank Quay, £16 for Macclesfield, £18 for Wilmslow, £20 for Manchester, Stockport and Wigan North Western, £22 for Preston, £25 for Lancaster, and £30 for Glasgow.
More information on the initiative can be found at avantisuperfare.co.uk, and for our recent Spotlight On feature on Birmingham, see:
Commenting on the news Sarah Copley, commercial director at Avanti West Coast, said:
“We’re working hard to encourage more people to take the train and the new Superfare ticket on the Birmingham route, at just £9 for over one hundred miles, is great value for money.
“And with a fastest journey time of one hour 17 minutes, the train is the best way to travel between the capital and the West Midlands.”
In other news Avanti has expanded its upgrade service in partnership with Seatfrog, following a successful trial on the Liverpool route.
Customers can bid for upgrades to Standard Premium for as little as £11 to and from Birmingham, compared to the normal price of £15.
Other example upgrades from London include Liverpool and Manchester from £18 (instead of the normal £25), and Glasgow from £22 (compared to the normal £30).
Avanti said that 1.1 million tickets had so far been sold for it Standard Premium offering since it was launched two years ago.
