Changes to fares and ticketing, from Sunday 3 December

“We’re fully behind the idea of simplifying the fares system and travel options for rail passengers, but we’ve not seen much publicity about these changes and are concerned that public awareness may be very low.

“We don’t want people to get caught out so we’re encouraging passengers to check to see if their journey will be affected by changes to fares at 53 stations across the South East. For example, some tickets have had to be phased out completely, including the Super Off-Peak option. This will mean that some journeys may actually cost more.

“And with the introduction of evening peak fares, there is also the risk that some passengers get caught out as they will no longer able to travel with an Off-Peak ticket. We hope there will be a generous transition period in place to make sure passengers don’t get penalised for something they are unaware of.

“It’s a pity that the introduction of contactless pay-as-you-go payment has been delayed and won’t kick in at the same time as these fares changes. We know that Londoners have benefited from contactless for many years and it is a convenient way to travel.

“We’re encouraging passengers who travel from one of the 53 stations affected by these fares and ticketing changes to check with their train operator for more information.”