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Taking hassle out of the equation
Firstly , by improving rail accessibility . According to Age UK , a quarter ( 26 percent ) of people aged 65 to 74 and around threefifths ( 61 percent ) of people aged 75 + do not regularly use the internet . This means that a huge part of society who also use public transport such as trains do not buy their tickets online and therefore struggle to find the correct ticket , price and journey by themselves .
The U-turn on closing ticket offices that took place late last year highlighted the continued appetite for human interaction when buying tickets . This is backed by SilverRail ’ s research that also found that nearly half ( 48 percent ) of Brits favor purchasing tickets at the station as opposed to online .
Luckily , there are a number of helpful initiatives being implemented up and down the country to help passengers that are either unwilling or unable to engage fully with online ticket purchases .
At SilverRail , we ’ re pioneering solutions such as providing Smart Kiosks at stations that allow the same flexibility and pricing as online purchases , which guide passengers to find the right ticket . Likewise , we ’ re also enabling train tickets to be bought from convenience stores on UK high streets , which we ’ ve piloted with Transport for Wales and Payzone . These options improve the access passengers have to a full range of fares and do so in an environment which makes it easy to find the best ticket .
In addition , fares should be simplified . When googling the number of different rail fares available , one is presented with an array of options : off-peak single , off-peak return , anytime single , anytime return , super offpeak , advance . Compare this with France that only offers rail passengers a few fares when they buy tickets , and we can see how important it is to simplify rail fare purchasing .
The journey ahead
Ultimately , all passengers should be able to find the best ticket for their needs - online and offline . Despite the UK ’ s vision for an all-inclusive rail system and even with the recent U-turn to close ticket offices , we ’ re still a long way from ensuring all people - no matter their age , background , or required needs - can navigate our rail network confidently .
With rail fares set to increase this year , operators should be doing all they can to make ticket buying less confusing and easier to access . ■
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