Title: BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | 10 legit ways to get cheaper rail fares
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Content: A first class open return from London Euston to Manchester is £337 for 185 miles each way. But a first open return to Falkirk - yes, in Scotland - is £320. This is because West Coast fares are priced by Virgin. London-Manchester is £337 return, and £355 London-Glasgow. BUT London-Falkirk is priced by GNER who have cheaper fares - and yet fares from London to Falkirk are available via either the West or the East Coast routes. So use your Falkirk ticket to Manchester, where you can break your journey (never to go on to Falkirk later). So you pay £17 less to travel 420 miles to Falkirk than the 185 miles to Manchester. You know it makes sense. Fares fair
A spokeswoman for the Association of Train Operating Companies agrees that combination fares are legitimate, but points out that on long distance trips, open single or return fares - used in the examples above - account for 2% of journeys. Is his ticket cheaper than yours?