What happened to my train fair?
 

Paddington to Kemble, September 22 0730. I checked a couple of days ago and they were £8-£16. Today £58 or more. What happened? That's over two months away. Is that the end of the good deals?

I don't think it's fair that the fare has changed. I hope you fare better.

My thought exactly. It is not fair.

A train fair? I love trains but had no idea there were train fairs. Where?

Play nicely children!!!

Maybe you can get a trainsfer.

More helpful advice from the usual tosspots. Still, at least they're not seeing yet another excuse for ignorant anti-British whingeing or unveiling anti-Semitic plots at the heart of the British railway system.

Advance purchase tickets at peak time on commuter routes like this are rarer than hens' teeth and often go within minutes of being posted if there's a school party or something travelling that day. There still are some for this route the previous day, and late on Sep 22.


The slightly more reassuring piece of advice, if travelling on September 22, is essential, is:
1. Neither Anytime nor Offpeak fares require any advance booking
2. Wait till the lowest offpeak fares kick in (on this line: with trains leaving Paddington after 1000), and it's £38 return.

Unless you're Jewish. In which case, our resident spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League will tell you, First Great Western will have planted cookies on your computer identifying you and denying you access to low fares.

AFAIK "advance" (ie cheap) tickets specifically for the 22nd September aren't on sale yet - eastcoast.co.uk is booking only up to the 16th and nationalrail.co.uk isn't showing any cheap fares for the 22nd,