Chiltern "simplifies" fares from London to Birmingham

[Failed Unit]

This is where the 2008 fares simplification doesn't seem to have made things simpler. Until 2008 the regulated fare was a specific ticket, the Saver. The Saver became the Off Peak but the regulation no longer specifically applies to that ticket, now Super Off Peak can be at the regulated price and Off Peak hiked.

Unless you in NXEC land where the saver became the super-off peak, the business saver became the off-peak and as a result the costs rocketed!

 

[Zoe]

Unless you in NXEC land where the saver became the super-off peak, the business saver became the off-peak and as a result the costs rocketed!

Well as far as I know Off Peak is still SVR unless this has changed but simplification allowed SVR to be hiked to the old Business Saver rate and a new Super Off Peak ticket to be introduced at the old SVR rate. With the old system the SVR specifically could not have been increased by more than the regulated rate. The point is that I don't see how this made it simpler.

 

[Failed Unit]

Well as far as I know Off Peak is still SVR unless this has changed but simplification allowed SVR to be hiked to the old Business Saver rate and a new Super Off Peak ticket to be introduced at the old SVR rate. With the old system the SVR specifically could not have been increased by more than the regulated rate. The point is that I don't see how this made it simpler.

No - the fare system certainly has no been more complicated.

But NXEC did change the Saver to the Super-off peak.

If you are bored take a look at the London - Stirling fare the super-off peak is valid via Glasgow at 1630 but not Edinburgh. You will see the reason behind this London - Glasgow set by Virgin off-peak is about the same as London - Edinburgh super-off peak (set by east coast). So Virgin treat east coast priced super-off peaks with the same way as there own off-peak as they used to be savers.

If they didn't you would just split at Glasgow. But to the average traveller how are they going to know the ticket they used last week via Glasgow is not valid on a train 30 minute earlier via Edinburgh. Likewise if you get the 1430 London - Newcastle and break your journey on the return you are not allowed to use an east coast service until late in the evening but you are OK to use an XC service.

 

[Zoe]

But NXEC did change the Saver to the Super-off peak.

Well it's clear that they introduced a Super Off Peak fare at the old Saver rate but I'd be surprised if this fare is actually SVR. More likely is that Super Off Peak was introduced at the same price as the old SVR and then the old SVR was increased to the Business Saver rate when it became Off Peak.

 

[Failed Unit]

Well it's clear that they introduced a Super Off Peak fare at the old Saver rate but I'd be surprised if this fare is actually SVR. More likely is that Super Off Peak was introduced at the same price as the old SVR and then the old SVR was increased to the Business Saver rate when it became Off Peak.

Would the be allowed to actaully do that? IIRC the Saver at the time was about £100 and the off-peak started at about £186, that is a pretty large increase. I think GNER killed off the super saver and then introduced the business saver as the extended the restrictions of the saver. The saver really because the super-saver by stealth (apart from it was still valid on a Friday)

 

[Zoe]

Would the be allowed to actaully do that? IIRC the Saver at the time was about £100 and the off-peak started at about £186, that is a pretty large increase.

FGW abolished the Super Saver in 2006 (at the time it was claimed they were doing so to make things simpler) and Saver became Off Peak in 2008. In 2009 FGW introduced a new Super Off Peak ticket at the old Off Peak rate and then hiked Off Peak by 20 percent. I remember discussing this elsewhere when FGW did it as I didn't think it was allowed but I was informed that since simplification the regulation does not apply specifically to SVR like it used to. Under the old system the Saver was regulated and increasing the Super Saver to the Saver price did not allow the Saver to be increased more than allowed.

 

[Failed Unit]

Crazy, I know we have gone off topic, but for someone travelled from Scotland - London the can halve the price by splitting at Glasgow!

 

[Zoe]

Crazy, I know we have gone off topic, but for someone travelled from Scotland - London the can halve the price by splitting at Glasgow!

It's possible this could end though if Super Off Peak fares get introduced in the new West Coast franchise?

 

[island]

Here's what has happened.