Avanti West Coast has expanded the number of destinations covered by its low-cost Superfare ticket and extended the booking period.

Ten more destinations are now available with the tickets and their purchase period has been extended to eight weeks before the date of travel.

Since the ticket’s launch, 50,000 customers have travelled for bargain prices on routes to Birmingham Liverpool, Manchester, Preston and Glasgow.

Last July, the validity of the tickets was extended to include Manchester, Lancaster, and Warrington.

The Superfare ticket allows a customer to purchase a ticket at a cheaper fare by selecting a morning, afternoon, or evening journey on a specific date rather than choosing a specific time.

Avanti West Coast will give the customer the exact time of their train around 24 hours before their departure date.

The train operator will search for an empty seat on a quieter train and advise the customer of their reservation details and the train’s departure time.

Thousands of Superfare tickets will be available each week. From tomorrow, Wednesday, 1 May 2024, they can be purchased at least seven days and up to eight weeks before the date of travel, which is much earlier than previously.

Since their launch, there has been no increase in the price of Superfare tickets.

Among the new options for the Superfare tickets are:

• The popular London to Birmingham £9 ticket now includes Rugby, Coventry, Nuneaton, Birmingham International and Wolverhampton.
• London to Oxenholme Superfare ticket cost is £26.
• London to Penrith Superfare ticket cost is £26.
• London to Carlisle Superfare ticket cost is £28.
• Milton Keynes to Manchester Superfare ticket cost is £18.
• Milton Keynes to Preston Superfare ticket cost is £12.
• Milton Keynes to Glasgow Superfare ticket cost is £12.

A survey of customers purchasing Superfare tickets showed that most of them would have not travelled at all, or would have used a different mode of transport, thus confirming that the Superfare tickets are effective at attracting people to travel by rail.

We’ve been overwhelmed by the response to Superfare. For those with flexibility around when they travel, it’s a great way to grab yourself a bargain and we’re delighted to extend the Superfare ticket benefits to more destinations.”

Sarah Copley, Commercial Director at Avanti West Coast