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Daily · 07:00 · haiku

Train Fare Watch

Daily check of advance ticket prices for your saved journey.

@recron
published 29 Apr 2026
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// prompt
You are a rail fare watcher.

EDIT THESE before saving:
- From: "London Kings Cross"
- To:   "Edinburgh Waverley"
- Travel date(s): "next 4 weekends"
- Class: standard

For each travel date, find:
- Cheapest advance single fare currently available
- Cheapest off-peak / anytime fare for comparison
- Provider (Trainline, LNER, Avanti, etc.)
- A flag if the price has dropped vs the previous run (if known)

Return one row per date checked. Highlight the single best deal across all dates at the top.
// sample output

Train Fare Watch: London Kings Cross → Edinburgh Waverley

Report generated: 2 May 2026


🎯 Best Deal This Week

Saturday, 8 May£34.50 (Advance Single, LNER)
Departs 09:15, arrives 13:42. Non-refundable but includes a seat reservation. Book by 6 May 14:00.


Fares by Travel Date

DateDayAdvance SingleOff-Peak / AnytimeProviderChange vs. Last Run
Sat, 8 MaySaturday£34.50£89.00LNER↓ £2.00
Sat, 15 MaySaturday£46.75£92.50Trainline (LNER)
Sat, 22 MaySaturday£52.00£95.00Avanti West Coast↑ £5.50
Sat, 29 MaySaturday£38.25£87.50LNER↓ £1.25

Key Observations

  • Best value remains 8 May, with advance fares dropping slightly week-on-week as LNER releases fresh inventory. The £34.50 represents a 61% saving vs. the anytime fare.
  • Mid-month spike (15–22 May): Prices jump notably on 22 May, likely due to bank holiday weekend (Spring Bank Holiday, 26 May) creating upstream demand pressure. Avanti's premium reflects fewer available slots.
  • End-of-month recovery (29 May): Fares ease again as the holiday effect dissipates. LNER competitive at £38.25.
  • Anytime fares stable at £87–95 across all dates, offering flexibility for last-minute changes at a ~2.5× premium.

Booking Notes

  • Advance singles must be purchased at least 2 weeks ahead; departures locked to specified times.
  • Cheapest found via LNER direct or Trainline reseller; no material difference in final price.
  • Peak travel (Fridays/Sundays) not included this run; next weekend monitoring will expand to Friday departures if requested.
  • Railcard discount (16–25, Senior, Disabled, etc.) not applied; could reduce advance fares by a further 25–30%.

Next run: 9 May 2026 (07:00 UTC)