Atoc priv cards

[Leebob34]

Hi all ,just a quick one ,am I right in thinking that you have to have worked for the company a couple of months before applying for one if these.
Many rhanks

 

[tiptoptaff]

Normally, it's one month and your TOC will do everything on your behalf. Only thing you have to do is apply for your partner/dependant travel when your card arrives

 

[bb21]

Six months for SouthEastern and one month for all other TOCs. Should be sent these automatically.

Don't ask me why.

 

[Leebob34]

Thanks guys ,is it available to use for monthly tickets etc and peak times

 

[bb21]

For priv seasons, you will need to apply to RSTL using Form 1501/2 (available from their website). You cannot purchase priv seasons without permission from RSTL.

TOCNE card is only meant for leisure travel. For duty and residential travel you are meant to use priv seasons or your staff pass (on any TOC with reciprocal arrangements).

 

[tiptoptaff]

The back of my card says it is only valid for Anytime, Off Peak and Super Off Peak fares. It isn't valid for season tickets. If you're working for NR, you done get one at all and can only apply for the Priv season ticket via RSTL

 

[Leebob34]

So what excatly do you get with an atoc card then ? if you can't use it during peak times then surely it isn't much good no ,as the reason I thought it would be good to have is with the cost of train tickets going up and up and I would have to commute on the train to get to work ,I thought it would be saving me a few quid each month ,that was what I was led to believe anyway ,!!

 

[Clip]

So what excatly do you get with an atoc card then ? if you can't use it during peak times then surely it isn't much good no ,as the reason I thought it would be good to have is with the cost of train tickets going up and up and I would have to commute on the train to get to work ,I thought it would be saving me a few quid each month ,that was what I was led to believe anyway ,!!??????

You can use it at peak times but only for leisure purposes.

If you want cheap travel to work then apply for a priv season as has been posted twice up above

 

[HarleyDavidson]

If you're looking to do a day out or long trip you can get better deals than priv rate and use the public fares by booking in advance.

TBQH I find that my TOC card is only useful for short off duty trips, it doesn't even open all of the barriers as it should do.

 

[tsr]

If you're looking to do a day out or long trip you can get better deals than priv rate and use the public fares by booking in advance.

TBQH I find that my TOC card is only useful for short off duty trips, it doesn't even open all of the barriers as it should do.

It depends. I greatly value the flexibility of being able to decide to go on a day out the evening before and not worry about a specific train, but still get tickets at 25% of the public price. I would be far more likely to mainly book Advances at the public or Railcard rate if we didn't have the ability to use PRIV on Off Peak/Super Off Peak fares, which is what swings its use favourably for me.

It's worth noting that I believe there is (or was until very recently) an easement somewhere which said that you can use the PRIV cards for temporary commuting for up to about 14 days or so. Obviously compared to a PRIV season that probably wouldn't suit most people. Back in the mists of the last few years I did once, on one day only, need to use a PRIV day ticket for getting to work, whilst in uniform, with no questions asked whatsoever during ticket checks. I would have been quite happy if a few searching questions were asked, but they weren't.

 

[theironroad]

If you're looking to do a day out or long trip you can get better deals than priv rate and use the public fares by booking in advance.

TBQH I find that my TOC card is only useful for short off duty trips, it doesn't even open all of the barriers as it should do.

Before the changes about 15 months ago I'd have agreed and while it may still be possible to get some cheaper public fares, getting priv off off peak was a big step forward. A return from London to Glasgow for c.£33 off peak is pretty good as still a fdaire amount of flexibility and can be bought minutes before travelling. To get that with a public fare is probably nigh on impossible and would have to be booked months in advance.

 

[Clip]

Before the changes about 15 months ago I'd have agreed and while it may still be possible to get some cheaper public fares, getting priv off off peak was a big step forward. A return from London to Glasgow for c.£33 off peak is pretty good as still a fdaire amount of flexibility and can be bought minutes before travelling. To get that with a public fare is probably nigh on impossible and would have to be booked months in advance.

The value is there I must say - when I go football I never know if Im coming back the same day or not so Ill more than likely use my priv. If I know what Im doing then advances are the way.

 

[bb21]

It's worth noting that I believe there is (or was until very recently) an easement somewhere which said that you can use the PRIV cards for temporary commuting for up to about 14 days or so. Obviously compared to a PRIV season that probably wouldn't suit most people. Back in the mists of the last few years I did once, on one day only, need to use a PRIV day ticket for getting to work, whilst in uniform, with no questions asked whatsoever during ticket checks. I would have been quite happy if a few searching questions were asked, but they weren't.

I believe there is still some informal acceptance in place, as priv seasons can take up to a week to gain approval, so once TOCNE card arrives, it can be used in the short term as a stop-gap.

I had to use mine for about a week before I had my priv season application approved. In reality no one will bat an eyelid in the short term, but do it over months and months and you might just run into someone who takes exception to it.

The value is there I must say - when I go football I never know if Im coming back the same day or not so Ill more than likely use my priv. If I know what Im doing then advances are the way.

Very much agreed. With priv rate now available on off-peak fares, it make Advance fares much less appealing for anything but the longest distance, and/or First Class.

 

[ItchyRsole]

To be honest I know protected staff get residential passes but no person working on the railway should have to pay to get to work. That's just my opinion.

At the very least, you should be allowed to use a priv to get to work.

 

[bb21]

Surely a priv season is much cheaper than buying daily priv tickets in the majority of cases, and you do get free travel to work, using your own TOC's services, or any other with reciprocal travel arrangements.

What you believe in is pretty much irrelevant. People all over the country have to pay to get to work. I believe that all TOC staff should get priv tavel on LUL, and vice versa. Not likely they will listen to me.

 

[LBSCR Times]

To be honest I know protected staff get residential passes but no person working on the railway should have to pay to get to work. That's just my opinion.

At the very least, you should be allowed to use a priv to get to work.

The residential pass is only up to 40 miles, after that you have to pay.
Unless you are an equivelant of an MS2 grade, in which case it's unlimited mileage.

And the tax man treats it as a perk, and your tax code gets altered...

 

[ItchyRsole]

The residential pass is only up to 40 miles, after that you have to pay.
Unless you are an equivelant of an MS2 grade, in which case it's unlimited mileage.

And the tax man treats it as a perk, and your tax code gets altered...

40 miles is a long way. I travel 20 to work.

 

[LBSCR Times]

40 miles is a long way. I travel 20 to work.

Not in the South East.

Central London (i.e. Monument or Kings Cross if employed by GTR) to somewhere like Reading, Haywards Heath etc is about 40 miles.

Considering many staff used to work in, say Croydon, were then moved to Waterloo / Blackfriars, then back out to Croydon and back to Central London, but used to live in Brighton etc, where access was easy.