Fare increases - folk don't like them

[wintonian]

However, the silly season around the annual fare increases does bring out the usual simplistic sound bites, both in the media and on this forum.

Carry on.

I think now that people have eaten all the turkey, got board with their presents, board with the family, the reality of waiting for credit card bills to arrive dawns upon them and they go back to their boring desks they just want to moan about anything and everything, give them all a free course of prozac with their new Gold Card or a discount of one with there next SVR and it would all be over soon.

But yes once again silly season comes round to drag the rest of us down as well. :-x

 

[Flamingo]

In that case, I would have to presume that they have a lot fewer unstaffed halts than we do over here.

He says it's just a different mindset. People expect to have to pay, and do pay. And before anybody trots out "Well, it's cheaper fares", in my experience in this country the amount of the fare is not the issue, it's simply paying it when "The barriers are open" or not waiting an extra 60 minutes to stick to the T&C that mean you can get from Swansea to Bristol for under £5 First Class because "I got to the station early" that is what the real difference is.

 

[Dave1987]

I wish I shared that sense of optimism... I can't say it seems that way to me!
Perhaps the GEML is where it's at...

I think all that talk of gold cards just fried my brain. Every time It seems I am getting a hold of the ticketing system, something new and even more complicated pops up and gets me!

You are entitled to a gold card if you are an annual season ticket holder and it comes with a whole lists of benefits as listed earlier.

 

[wintonian]

You are entitled to a gold card if you are an annual season ticket holder and it comes with a whole lists of benefits as listed earlier.

Only in the network area - NRE

 

[island]

He says it's just a different mindset. People expect to have to pay, and do pay. And before anybody trots out "Well, it's cheaper fares", in my experience in this country the amount of the fare is not the issue, it's simply paying it when "The barriers are open" or not waiting an extra 60 minutes to stick to the T&C that mean you can get from Swansea to Bristol for under £5 First Class because "I got to the station early" that is what the real difference is.

Seeing as it's silly season, can I get a refund if the driver of my Cheltenham train triggered the ATP and caused an emergency stop?

 

[Flamingo]

Only if it took him an hour to sort it out!

 

[yorksrob]

He says it's just a different mindset. People expect to have to pay, and do pay. And before anybody trots out "Well, it's cheaper fares", in my experience in this country the amount of the fare is not the issue, it's simply paying it when "The barriers are open" or not waiting an extra 60 minutes to stick to the T&C that mean you can get from Swansea to Bristol for under £5 First Class because "I got to the station early" that is what the real difference is.

Well, undoubtedly there is an element of that, but then again I live in W Yorks where the majority of stations didn't even have a ticket machine until last year, so the only way fares were collected was by guards selling them up and down the train regularly.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

He says it's just a different mindset. People expect to have to pay, and do pay. And before anybody trots out "Well, it's cheaper fares", in my experience in this country the amount of the fare is not the issue, it's simply paying it when "The barriers are open" or not waiting an extra 60 minutes to stick to the T&C that mean you can get from Swansea to Bristol for under £5 First Class because "I got to the station early" that is what the real difference is.

Well, undoubtedly there is an element of that, but then again I live in W Yorks where the majority of stations didn't even have a ticket machine until last year, so the only way fares were collected was by guards selling them up and down the train regularly.

I suppose my point is, if it's done in West Yorks, it would probably work elsewhere.

 

[Flamingo]

But when taking a train from Paddington, and people going to Reading, Didot or Swindon had to jump on because "They didn't have time to get a ticket" even though the interval between trains is at most 15 minutes, they are hoping that they will get away with it - especially if I have to "wake" them to check their ticket!

 

[radamfi]

Most local stations in Germany have ticket machines. On some lines, there is a ticket machine on the train.

 

[yorksrob]

But when taking a train from Paddington, and people going to Reading, Didot or Swindon had to jump on because "They didn't have time to get a ticket" even though the interval between trains is at most 15 minutes, they are hoping that they will get away with it - especially if I have to "wake" them to check their ticket!

Well, as long as you (and your colleagues) are wakeing them, they'll learn that they'll have to buy the ticket anyway. That's one of the reasons why I'm generally against turning routes over to DOO.

 

[island]

But when taking a train from Paddington, and people going to Reading, Didot or Swindon had to jump on because "They didn't have time to get a ticket" even though the interval between trains is at most 15 minutes, they are hoping that they will get away with it - especially if I have to "wake" them to check their ticket!

Pity you aren't an authorised collector!

 

[Flamingo]

Well, as long as you (and your colleagues) are wakeing them, they'll learn that they'll have to buy the ticket anyway. That's one of the reasons why I'm generally against turning routes over to DOO.

Well, they obviously get away with it often enough. And it does result in complaints - "Breaching my Human Rights" was my favourite, but "You only woke me because I'm (insert minority here)" is sometimes trotted out as well. :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Pity you aren't an authorised collector!

Naw, I can stop doing Revenue duties when I get fed up being shouted at. Also, I like being a guard, it's my train and I run it my way!

 

[radamfi]

That's one of the reasons why I'm generally against turning routes over to DOO.

Strictly speaking, some routes around Glasgow are DOO, but there is nearly always someone selling and checking tickets.

 

[Drsatan]

But when taking a train from Paddington, and people going to Reading, Didot or Swindon had to jump on because "They didn't have time to get a ticket" even though the interval between trains is at most 15 minutes, they are hoping that they will get away with it - especially if I have to "wake" them to check their ticket!

True, but what if the passenger's boarding at a station where there's only an hourly service (or less) to his or her destination? I can understand the frustration of many passengers who buy on board since they have been unable to buy from a TVM or ticket office (even though most TOC passenger charters state that passengers should only have to wait for a minimum of five minutes in peak periods)

 

[Butts]

Is £29.99 the fare you can pay on the day. And did that include getting from City to Airport and Airport to City. Parking etc.

The fares vary depending on demand and when you purchase them - sometimes cheap fares are available on the day of travel. Strangely I checked mine prior to departure and it would have been £50 to buy on the day online. It cost me about £10 on top to get to and from the Airports at either end.

 

[yorksrob]

Well, they obviously get away with it often enough. And it does result in complaints - "Breaching my Human Rights" was my favourite, but "You only woke me because I'm (insert minority here)" is sometimes trotted out as well. :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Naw, I can stop doing Revenue duties when I get fed up being shouted at. Also, I like being a guard, it's my train and I run it my way!

I suppose it's up to your employer whether they think you need extra people to assist you in the ticket checks (you probably do if you're on InterCity services), but I do think trains need someone going up and down checking/selling tickets for effective revenue collection - far more than station barriers.

 

[tbtc]

You have to look beyond the balance sheet figures I am afraid. There is so much clever accounting involved in running a massive portfolio of interlinked companies

My hunch is that similarly clever accounting was the reason for the "Intercity was run at a profit under BR" claims

Bob Crow was on Sky to state that renationalisation would solve it all

Hold the front page!

 

[wintonian]

True, but what if the passenger's boarding at a station where there's only an hourly service (or less) to his or her destination? I can understand the frustration of many passengers who buy on board since they have been unable to buy from a TVM or ticket office (even though most TOC passenger charters state that passengers should only have to wait for a minimum of five minutes in peak periods)

The phrasing there is 'should' not 'will', passengers need to ensure that they leave a reasonable amount of time in order to buy their ticket. Now what is reasonable? 30 seconds clearly is not but IMO 1 hour is more than enough, so one assumes we are aiming for somewhere in the middle.

 

[island]

True, but what if the passenger's boarding at a station where there's only an hourly service (or less) to his or her destination? I can understand the frustration of many passengers who buy on board since they have been unable to buy from a TVM or ticket office (even though most TOC passenger charters state that passengers should only have to wait for a minimum of five minutes in peak periods)

Then the passenger can choose to get to the station earlier, or choose to pay the higher on-board fare.

 

[Flamingo]

True, but what if the passenger's boarding at a station where there's only an hourly service (or less) to his or her destination? I can understand the frustration of many passengers who buy on board since they have been unable to buy from a TVM or ticket office (even though most TOC passenger charters state that passengers should only have to wait for a minimum of five minutes in peak periods)

True, but if someone is making that type of a journey the usually have their act together.

Anyway, don't go down the "waiting time" thread again, it's been done to death. My only comment on it is that I never find passengers on board who were unable to buy tickets as the queue was too long when the train left from barriered platforms or stations. If there is no other option to get to the train, people always seem to manage to buy a ticket.

 

[PR1Berske]

I just want to throw something out there

BBC News is just starting its 10 o'clock news. There's vox-pops from passengers, and they sound exhuasted, fed up and bored by price rises without improvements to service. Now if we accept that there has been improvements to service, why are passengers feeling as though nothing is happening?

Or in other words, why is the PR so bad within the industry that progress can't be identified ?

 

[wintonian]

I just want to throw something out there

BBC News is just starting its 10 o'clock news. There's vox-pops from passengers, and they sound exhuasted, fed up and bored by price rises without improvements to service. Now if we accept that there has been improvements to service, why are passengers feeling as though nothing is happening?

Or in other words, why is the PR so bad within the industry that progress can't be identified ?

Give them an inch and they want a mile.

10 years ago people down here were moaning (quite rightly) about travelling on 50 year old trains, now they complain about travelling on some of the (if not the) cleanest best kept 8 year old trains built brand spanking new for where they run now. Not god enough apparently their dirty, slow and never on time apparently. :-x

 

[Goatboy]

To be honest as somebody who always makes sure I've either got to the station in good time to buy a ticket or, when I know I may be tight for time, have purchased the ticket in advance, it really winds me up that I see numerous people who have quite obviously completely ignore all ticket purchasing facilities get offered the full range of discounted tickets onboard the train.

 

[GNER 91128]

Then the passenger can choose to get to the station earlier, or choose to pay the higher on-board fare.

Not always possible when using other public transport like a bus to get to the railway station in the first place, esp if there's a reduced service running and the train you want to catch runs every hour (PBO-SMD).

However if I'm going to London or elsewhere on EC I'll book my tickets online and either print them out or collect at the station.

 

[wintonian]

Not always possible when using other public transport like a bus to get to the railway station in the first place, esp if there's a reduced service running and the train you want to catch runs every hour.

The train company's are not (directly anyway) responsible for how the buses run. Integrated transport, even if owned by the same company will have to remain as one huge pipe dream unfortunately.

 

[yorksrob]

I just want to throw something out there

BBC News is just starting its 10 o'clock news. There's vox-pops from passengers, and they sound exhuasted, fed up and bored by price rises without improvements to service. Now if we accept that there has been improvements to service, why are passengers feeling as though nothing is happening?

Or in other words, why is the PR so bad within the industry that progress can't be identified ?

I suppose it's because railway improvements tend to be quite hefty but on a forty year cycle, whereas fare rises are every year.

The Kent Link improvements were quite substantial, but if you weren't around to see them twenty years ago, it will have looked like a lot of price rises for no improvement.

(That's not to say the EPB's weren't wonderful in their time of course )

 

[Flamingo]

About 12 months ago I got cornered by a season-ticket holder from Reading going into Paddington. He sprouted every Daily Mail headline at me, (as if I had any responsibility for or control over fares), but the high point was "And you say that this money is being spent on the railway? Where, because I can't see a single thing!"

For those of you not familiar with the GW line, Reading Station has been a building site with a railway line running through it for about four years now, and is the largest project currently on his part of the network.

But this chap obviously had blanked it from his mind, as it didn't suit his agenda.

 

[Roverman]

FGW pushed out some slick salesman claiming a Bristol-London season ticket was a mere 16p a mile per trip, whats the betting that was the lowest he could 'magically' come up with!

 

[Flamingo]

To be honest as somebody who always makes sure I've either got to the station in good time to buy a ticket or, when I know I may be tight for time, have purchased the ticket in advance, it really winds me up that I see numerous people who have quite obviously completely ignore all ticket purchasing facilities get offered the full range of discounted tickets onboard the train.

It's not worth the arguments and complaints (see my posts passim) not to do so.

 

[tbtc]

I just want to throw something out there

BBC News is just starting its 10 o'clock news. There's vox-pops from passengers, and they sound exhuasted, fed up and bored by price rises without improvements to service. Now if we accept that there has been improvements to service, why are passengers feeling as though nothing is happening?

Or in other words, why is the PR so bad within the industry that progress can't be identified ?

You were claiming that services are now *worse*. Still waiting for that evidence.