2015 fare increases

[AM9]

I seem to recall within the last few years FGW raised the prices of it's London commuter routes considerably (a ways above whatever the headline was supposed to be) whilst lowering the fares (or at least holding them steady) on a number of Cornish routes. All perfectly legimitate as the 'basket' of fare rises on FGW was bang on the increase it was supposed to be.

If I understand your post correctly, you are saying that the 'basket' of fare rises means for example that if there are 500 fares in a particular class or type, then the average price increase is the nominal figure, (maybe 3.5% this year). My issue is that the TOC can meet this rule when they weigh the increases in ticket prices favour of stations with high volumes and balance the increases in prices with below nominal rises at stations with low volumes. In my example, I was assuming that the number of increase(s) from St Albans exactly cancel out those from Radlett, but the fact that St Albans has about 6 times the number of passengers as Radlett, means that the net increase of fare takings of the two stations combined would be about 4.8%, thereby giving the TOC an unearned increase in takings of 2%, which is not what they and the government will be admitting when the prices are announced.

Having read your post again, I think that I may be preaching to the converted, unless you are a TOC shareholder!

 

[bb21]

I believe passenger numbers are taken into account to a certain degree, but there are ways around it.

 

[ainsworth74]

Having read your post again, I think that I may be preaching to the converted, unless you are a TOC shareholder!

You most certainly are

 

[Paul Kelly]

I seem to remember that the fares that account for the bottom 5% of revenue are excluded from the basket, but within the basket there is no weighting by sales volume.

 

[bb21]

I seem to remember that the fares that account for the bottom 5% of revenue are excluded from the basket, but within the basket there is no weighting by sales volume.

That rings a bell, although I wasn't too sure what the figure was.

 

[Flamingo]

Wouldn't split tickets skew this formula by changing the volume, therefore the weighting...

 

[Starmill]

It's a tad unfair comparing people whose tickets will be going up by several hundred pounds with your ticket which will be going up by £2.50

Many people commuting don't have much choice, whereas many of your journeys are not out of necessity.

No, not at all 'necessary'. So I'll just do everyone here a favour and bugger off completely shall I!?

 

[AntoniC]

Merseyrail fares going up by RPI +0, according to concession agreement apparently. Press release below:

My Merseyrail Trio Annual All Zones Ticket, which I will renew on 31/08/14 has increased by £34 from £1192 to £1226 , an increase of 2.85%.

Its still great value for a ticket, especially as I get an interest free loan from work to buy it.

 

[westv]

Well if we are talking about fare increses, my Monday morning peak time HT advanced purchase tickets to London went up almost 100% around July time from a dirt cheap £10 to a slightly less dirt cheap £19!

 

[bb21]

Well if we are talking about fare increses, my Monday morning peak time HT advanced purchase tickets to London went up almost 100% around July time from a dirt cheap £10 to a slightly less dirt cheap £19!

Not subject to fares regulation that one.

I would like a Monday morning peak Advance to London for £19 on my line please.

 

[CdBrux]

I seem to remember some time back there being an idea floated by the government to allow season tickets to be paid for by direct debit and thus in 12 installments through the year (like TV licence can be), and also have a system whereby if you worked from home one day per week you had a ticket priced for travel 4 days per week? I can see those ideas returning, particularly the first as it would seem relatively simple to do.

 

[Flamingo]

No, not at all 'necessary'. So I'll just do everyone here a favour and bugger off completely shall I!?

Bye bye.

 

[jon0844]

I seem to remember some time back there being an idea floated by the government to allow season tickets to be paid for by direct debit and thus in 12 installments through the year (like TV licence can be), and also have a system whereby if you worked from home one day per week you had a ticket priced for travel 4 days per week? I can see those ideas returning, particularly the first as it would seem relatively simple to do.

Flexible season tickets would be ideal for people that either work in multiple locations, or work from home some of the time (which we should be encouraging where possible - clearly not all jobs/professions being suitable).

Smartcards that can give discounts over a longer period of time (weekly, monthly, quarterly) etc would be ideal. You'd start to get the benefit of having a season ticket even if you actually just paid to travel every day or two, or even to/from different places.

Leisure travellers that take the train a lot would also benefit, and it could potentially be an alternative to having a railcard for some.

Unlike a paper ticket, smartcards could also reward people that can stagger their journeys. We do have some flexible season tickets, but not many. Going against the flow could also be cheaper, for example.

It would be complex to set some of these things up, but no more so than the currently complex system that doesn't even work that well - especially when you have gatelines unable to work half of it out, leaving staff to have to interpret the rules with varying levels of success.

Not that any of these things are going to happen soon, but ten years from now I am certain ticketing will have changed massively.

 

[anme]

Any wonder why passengers always get a rough deal? :roll:

If I spout utter garbage like that in what I do and present statistics in a misleading way deliberately, I would be instantly put through the disciplinary procedure for incompetence.

Does anyone else find her "45% of tickets are sold in advance" statistic suspicious? I'd have thought most tickets are for short journeys where buying in advance would not save anything anyway.

 

[jon0844]

Tickets sold in advance or tickets sold are advance? Big difference. I wonder if she knew that difference, or that advance tickets don't exist for all trains.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Does anyone else find her "45% of tickets are sold in advance" statistic suspicious? I'd have thought most tickets are for short journeys where buying in advance would not save anything anyway.

I'd say it was about right, if you take season tickets into account. If you add in online sales (I buy online even if travelling in half an hour because Nectar points/EC reward points) it's definitely right.

It's been fed to her by the TOC lobbyists at ATOC, of course.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Not that any of these things are going to happen soon, but ten years from now I am certain ticketing will have changed massively.

It might help if the Minister or her Civil Servants understood that it costs the same to buy in advance as on the day, but a cheaper ticket is sometimes available if you accept that it's only valid on a specific train. For practical reasons this has to be purchased in advance of travel and is confusingly termed an "Advance Ticket".

Offering complimentary seat reservation for pre-purchase of "ordinary" tickets does muddy the waters somewhat between "any train" and "specific train".

 

[455driver]

Having read your post again, I think that I may be preaching to the converted, unless you are a TOC shareholder!

You most certainly are

When did you become a TOC shareholder?

 

[ainsworth74]

When did you become a TOC shareholder?

Groan...

 

[bb21]

If you invest in a pension fund you are most likely to be a TOC shareholder of some sort.

 

[ainsworth74]

Pension fund? You must be joking

 

[bb21]

Start saving for the future ....

 

[ainsworth74]

I need to have the money to put aside first! Besides, before this become lecture ainsworth74, what provision for 'the future' do you have!?!

As an aside this relates to 2015 fares increases how?

 

[island]

I forgot it was that time of year, I guess I'll be looking forward to another week of "the fares only went up last month" and "it was cheaper last month" as people start to believe the fares have already changed (even though they haven't). I'll get it again at the beginning of December when these stories hit the news again (as the new fares enter the database) and then again at the start of January. The joys of working for the railway I guess, maybe I should be used to it by now, it's the same every year.

Quoted for truthery. The average Joe thinks that train fares are way higher than they really are due to the same fare rises being reported three times a year and people comparing walk-up returns to Manchester with plane tickets to New York booked 4 months in advance.

I seem to remember some time back there being an idea floated by the government to allow season tickets to be paid for by direct debit and thus in 12 installments through the year (like TV licence can be), and also have a system whereby if you worked from home one day per week you had a ticket priced for travel 4 days per week? I can see those ideas returning, particularly the first as it would seem relatively simple to do.

I can't see much of a market for the first, even over 10 months (to stop people doing naughty things after their ticket has no refund value), as the majority of employees have a season ticket loan scheme available these days. The second maybe.

 

[hassaanhc]

Quoted for truthery. The average Joe thinks that train fares are way higher than they really are due to the same fare rises being reported three times a year and people comparing walk-up returns to Manchester with plane tickets to New York booked 4 months in advance.

I can't see much of a market for the first, even over 10 months (to stop people doing naughty things after their ticket has no refund value), as the majority of employees have a season ticket loan scheme available these days. The second maybe.

That bold bit annoys me so much, and I feel it is deliberate, in order to promote an agenda :roll:

Southern have a scheme where you can pay by direct debit for 11 monthly tickets, giving one month free http://www.southernrailway.com/download/28856.1/monthly-season-saver-oct-2013/

 

[bb21]

I need to have the money to put aside first! Besides, before this become lecture ainsworth74, what provision for 'the future' do you have!?!

As an aside this relates to 2015 fares increases how?

A few years' saving in The Teacher's Pensions or whatever they are called nowadays.

 

[ainsworth74]

Ha I got a teachers pension paid to me for a few years that was quite nice. However it isn't open for me to pay into what with the whole not being a teacher thing

 

[306024]

Chancellor announces this morning regulated fares will only rise by inflation, i.e. 2.5%. Anyone smell an election?

 

[Simon11]

At least the decision has been made early which benefits everyone, including the TOC's who can now price their flows without having the risk of having to start again!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29098340

 

[IanD]

Chancellor announces this morning regulated fares will only rise by inflation, i.e. 2.5%. Anyone smell an election?

Didn't they do the same last year? Don't recall there being an election this year.