Club 55

[John @ home]

It is reported in this thread on uk.railway that First Group and ATW are running their Club 55 discount scheme again this autumn.

"First TransPennine Express, First Hull Trains, First Great Western, First Capital Connect and Arriva Trains Wales will be running a joint Club 55 promotion valid from 20th September – 30th November 2010.

Description

• A zonal promotion offering return travel within England, Wales and parts of Scotland for those aged 55 and over.
• Flexible – no need to book in advance.
• Club 55 is not subject to availability, so customers will never miss out.
• Standard Class and First Class tickets are available.

Availability

• Club 55 is available to anyone aged 55 or over. Customers are required to carry proof of age when they travel to validate their ticket.
• Outward travel is valid between 20 September and 30 November 2010 inclusive.
• Return travel is valid for up to one month from the date of outward travel.
• Available for First and Standard Class travel between any two stations on the FTPE, FHT, FCC, FGW and ATW networks.
• Club 55 is only available for travel on the operators specified.
• Club 55 does not need to be booked in advance and is not subject to availability.
• Club 55 is available to purchase in advance although travel is not valid until 20 September 2010."

However they cannot be sold yet. Due to not being in systems properly

A few comments from me:

• I haven't seen any prices yet.
• ScotRail is not included in the list of participating First Group companies. ScotRail ran a Club 55 promotion during the summer months and this is just ending.
• I think this is the first time Hull Trains has been included.
• The suggestion that this is one zonal scheme may open the possibility of some very long journeys at Club 55 rates, e.g. Edinburgh - Penzance via Manchester and Newport.
• I'm looking forward to my Leeds - Croydon journeys going via Selby. I've not travelled Selby - Kings X since the opening of the Selby deviation on 1 October 1973.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

It is reported in this thread on uk.railway that First Group and ATW are running their Club 55 discount scheme again this autumn.A few comments from me:

• I haven't seen any prices yet.
• ScotRail is not included in the list of participating First Group companies. ScotRail ran a Club 55 promotion during the summer months and this is just ending.
• I think this is the first time Hull Trains has been included.
• The suggestion that this is one zonal scheme may open the possibility of some very long journeys at Club 55 rates, e.g. Edinburgh - Penzance via Manchester and Newport.
• I'm looking forward to my Leeds - Croydon journeys going via Selby. I've not travelled Selby - Kings X since the opening of the Selby deviation on 1 October 1973.

Oh I am glad they are available to buy online again. That means we'll have loads of students buying them on the internet, trying to use them claiming they didn't know / read / understand what they were, resulting in me being able to charge an XS fare.

 

[CarterUSM]

ScotRail's was a little more pricey this time, around or exactly 22 quid if i remember.Still a good deal though.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Travel in one zone is £15 in standard class, £25 in First class.

Each additional zone in standard class is £10, and in First is £15.

Use of ATW services is an additional £10 standard class.

Tickets are routed according to which TOCs you use, in some cases there are two different routeings.

NOTE: you can not excess a TOC specific fare for use on another TOC.

Change of travel plans for the outward journey to another day is subject an admin fee oF £10.

Offer is for outward between 20th September and 30th November inclusive. Return travel is valid for within one month of the date on the ticket.

Time restrictions apply.

Discounts given for Senior Railcard and Disabled Railcard holders ONLY

This fare is NOT valid on First Scotrail and is not to be confused with Club 55 tickets offered by First Scotrail or Arriva Trains Wales.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

....A few comments from me:

• ....
  
• I think this is the first time Hull Trains has been included.
• The suggestion that this is one zonal scheme may open the possibility of some very long journeys at Club 55 rates, e.g. Edinburgh - Penzance via Manchester and Newport.
• I'm looking forward to my Leeds - Croydon journeys going via Selby. I've not travelled Selby - Kings X since the opening of the Selby deviation on 1 October 1973.

Hull trains has more restrictions than any other but is included.

Edinburgh-Penzance would be £55 Standard class via London (five zones) or £45 via Hereford and Gloucester (three zones+ATW)

Leeds-Croydon would be £25 standard class, the same price as Brighton to Portsmouth.

 

[clagmonster]

Thanks for the gen. I've had a look on the companies' websites and on the UK Railway thread without look, but does anyone know where the zonal maps are published. Thanks in advance.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I can't provide a map and the 'dedicated website' isn't working yet.

www.club55.co.uk

The borders are....

Zone A - Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lockerbie

Zone B - Carlisle, Manchester/Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Newcastle, Retford

Zone C - Kings Lynn, Ely

Zone D - Crewe, Chester, Birmingham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Swindon, Pewsey, Southampton/Portsmouth

Zone E - Havant, Bedwyn, Didcot Parkway, Kingham, Banbury, Bicester, 'London'*, Gatwick Airport*, Brighton*

Zone F - Grantham, Waterbeach, Bedford, 'London'*, Gatwick Airport*, Brighton*

*Travel between these stations appears to be in Zone F.

 

[clagmonster]

Thanks for that, most useful.

 

[John @ home]

Details of the ScotRail version of Club 55 for autumn 2010 have now appeared here.

 

[sheff1]

... the 'dedicated website' isn't working yet.

www.club55.co.uk

It is now, but only with the Scotland info so far.

I am assuming Sheffield is in Zone B, but no doubt all will be revealed soon.

 

[38Cto15E]

In the past I have used FGW Club 55 for a PAD-PNZ trip, will this still be available?

Also, with the FirstScotrail Club 55 offer, it would appear that the Standard class version is valid from Berwick or Carlisle whilst the First class(Premier) is only valid from Glasgow or Edinburgh.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Sheffield is in zone B

Paddington to Penzance would be £25 Standard Class, £40 First Class.

I can only assume that the services offered in the Scotrail Club 55 offer to Carlisle and to Berwick are standard class only.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I can only assume that the services offered in the Scotrail Club 55 offer to Carlisle and to Berwick are standard class only.

That's not quite how I understand it . . . (The First Class "version" being called Club 55 Premier)

Club 55 Premier is only valid on the following routes and valid for the train service shown on your reservation:

•Aberdeen to Inverness
•Aberdeen to Edinburgh or Glasgow
•Inverness to Edinburgh or Glasgow

Club 55 Premier can be purchased in advance but due to limited First Class capacity must be booked no later then 18:00 the day before travel and is subject to availability.

Reservations for both outward and return travel must be made at the time of purchase.

Access to First Class lounges is not permitted for Club 55 Premier ticket holders.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/promotions/prae35676d78409b998e3649e41002f3/details.html
However, the East Coast booking engine goes further, and offers £23 Club 55 Premier travel to Berwick or Carlisle. (Booking, randomly, for 28th Sept returns from Falkirk to Berwick and to Carlisle).
In the case of the Edinburgh-Berwick leg of these journeys, the Club 55 Premier is only offered on East Coast trains (on weekdays, not before 11am nor on the 17:30 off Edinburgh).
In the case of the Carlisle leg of these journeys, the Club 55 Premier is only offered on 4 trains in each direction (weekdays) - just on TPE between Edinburgh and Manchester Airport.

So although, arguably, the Carlisle journeys are not a ScotRail offer, the Berwick journeys on East Coast are an interesting exception, available in Standard and First Class versions of Club 55. They are even available on some EC services to/from Glasgow (and cheaper than the SSR), which isn't at all apparent from the NR quote above.


Its also fair to point out that although both Carlisle and Berwick are considered to be in Scotland for the purposes of this offer (contentious!), these tickets are NOT valid between Carlisle and Berwick.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

What I mean is, if Scotrail only have First class on Inverness-Aberdeen, Aberdeen-Glasgow/Edinburgh and Inverness-Glasgow/Edinburgh, then the extra 'premier' price tag is basically worthless on other routes.

But as I have now noticed it is valid on other operators aswell I can only assume that it is becuase there is 'too much demand' for first class tickets on other routes and so discounting them would result in lost revenue????

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . as I have now noticed it is valid on other operators aswell I can only assume that it is becuase there is 'too much demand' for first class tickets on other routes and so discounting them would result in lost revenue????

Well, you're right that there is only a limited offering of First Class accom within Scotland anyway; another factor would be that some would be on CrossCountry trains which are not participating in the scheme.

As for demand being close to saturation at present, others would have to advise, but based purely on my own experience of East Coast within Scotland, I would say that EC needs all the promotion of its First Class offering within Scotland that it can get, especially on the route I highlighted above (Glasgow-Edinburgh-Berwick) which is absent from the Description of the offer from NR, from ScotRail and from EC's own website (so not much of a promotion, then!).

 

[philjo]

I noticed leaflets outlining the offer & a map of the zones etc in the racks at a couple of FCC stations yesterday. (the Scotrail offer is not shown in the leaflet)

 

[bnm]

Following two calls to FGW customer services I was informed that Club 55 tickets should be available for purchase online from 1pm on the 10th September for travel from the 20th. This doesn't appear to have happened though.

The advisor did tell me they were available via the telesales system and at staffed stations.

I find it a little strange that none of the First Group TOCs (excepting ScotRail) have any advertising for Club 55 on their websites.

 

[John @ home]

The details have now appeared on the National Rail site here.

 

[bnm]

Right, beginning to get a bit pee'd off here.

Can anyone get the Club 55 fares out of the online booking system on the dedicated website? All I've managed to find are Club 55 Premier (1st Class) fares in WebTIS.

 

[38Cto15E]

I have tried booking on the Club55.co.uk site but there is a glitch, maybe it will be sorted in the next day or so.
As I understand it, PAD-PNZ is two zones, so a First class return with railcard should only be £32, have I done my sums right?

£25 first zone+ £15 second zone, less 20% senior railcard.

TIA
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The First web site is now up and running http://www.club55.co.uk/
Sure enough, £32 First Class return PAD-PNZ with senior railcard.

 

[blackfive460]

Well, the updated site works, sort of...
There seems to be no way to get it to offer Club 55 for a journey from Scarborough to Newcastle; easy to do on TPE only but the planner only offers EC and Cross Country from York.
The really strange one is Hull to London.
It comes up with the £25 correctly but also offers a £35 fare 'valid for travel on HT, TPE and FGW only'. All the journeys offered are on direct trains so how do I use TPE & FGW from Hull to London then?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I don't know why the HT, TPE & FGW ticket is there (there is also a HT & FGW only fare), but I did note that the TPE, AW & FGW ticket is £35, instead of the £45 it should be (three zones plus ATW).

The Scarborough-Newcastle fare is there, but you need to get the planner to search for TPE journeys, I haven't used the site to do look for tickets so I don't know what options there are, but at a ticket office it should be easy enough.

 

[blackfive460]

The Scarborough-Newcastle fare is there, but you need to get the planner to search for TPE journeys, I haven't used the site to do look for tickets so I don't know what options there are, but at a ticket office it should be easy enough.

The Planner doesn't allow TOC specific searches, the only options are 'Go via' and direct services.
Even putting Go via Chester-le-Street which does bring up TPE only journeys still won't offer a Club 55 fare.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

That's a bit suckish.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Even putting Go via Chester-le-Street which does bring up TPE only journeys still won't offer a Club 55 fare.

You are right, but under the list of available fares, there is a small and pale line of text at the foot of the page which says "Click here to check if slower routes with cheaper tickets are available." and if you do, you'll be presented with the Club55 ticket price of £15 return for the TPE only SCE - NCL journey, changing at York, and it DOES let you select that ticket for purchase.

---------------------

However, I am unable to buy some Club55 tickets within the Scotrail area, which I CAN buy using the EastCoast booking engine (see above).
For example, Berwick-Inverness Return (which actually involves travel on EC who are not promoting the scheme!) or Edinburgh-Inverness (with travel on FSR services, but bookable through EC website, but whereas the ScotRail site says Club55 tickets are not available for the same journey)!

 

[PaulLothian]

Info on Scotrail Club 55. As noted elsewhere in this thread, you can travel to Carlisle or Newcastle, though not between them. You can travel within Scotland on any company's services (not necessarily First Group).

Our day out from West Lothian to Elgin was very successful, and probably the longest possible Sunday day-trip with the present poor Sunday timetables.

On the way north, East Coast let us down when their 125 failed on the Forth Bridge with brake problems, necessitating a change of plan once it had limped on to Inverkeithing. We reversed the route, and were able to travel on what I think is the longest through service starting and finishing in Scotland (Inverness to Glasgow via Aberdeen).

Good value for money - about 425 miles for £18. And no one asked us at any point to prove we were over 55, which was a disappointment for us...

 

[John @ home]

Info on Scotrail Club 55. As noted elsewhere in this thread, you can travel to Carlisle or Newcastle

I don't think you can travel south of Berwick.

It is also valid for travel from most stations in Scotland to and from Carlise or Berwick-upon-Tweed.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/club55

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I don't think you can travel south of Berwick.

I agree. The First ScotRail scheme, which is also sold by and honoured by East Coast, only covers travel as far south as Berwick on the East Coast (and First don't go to Berwick). If travelling further south, then "normal" tickets would be required - there are no Club 55 tickets available on the East Coast between Edinburgh and Newcastle on the ECML within the Club 55 scheme.

The promoter of the Club 55 scheme is "First", who don't operate between Edinburgh and Newcastle, so whilst EC will cover the Edin-Berwick leg, you'd require "normal" tickets to bridge the gap between Berwick and Newcastle. But I'm told that that EC have not seen many Club55 tickets presented on board between Edin and Berwick.

 

[PaulLothian]

Sorry folks - entirely right! I meant Berwick, but was having a conversation with a colleague about his plans to go to Newcastle, and lost the plot. Men & multi-tasking - maybe it is true after all.

 

[tivoli]

Have used Club 55 on FCC at weekends, but when I check FCC fares for weekday say leaving Cambridge 10.30 to Kings Cross then back at 20.00 it tells me Club55 fares not available. Am I missing something?

 

[38Cto15E]

I have just put in leaving Cambridge on Thursday after 10 am and returning from Kings Cross after 2000 and the Club 55 fares came up OK, I think that the booking system may have had problems over the weekend.