FCC offering Super Off Peak Day tickets this summer

[Edvid]

For journeys between 20 June and 6 September (weekends only), First Capital Connect are selling discounted SOPD Returns/Travelcards which are roughly 20%-25% cheaper than their OPD counterparts.

No Railcard discounts though, and they're not valid for other TOCs' services either.

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?iCmsPageId=474

 

[yorkie]

I thought all Super Off Peak tickets had to have railcard discounts applied? If not, what was the point of "simplification"?

 

[tony_mac]

That's what nationalrail says
http://nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/offpeak.html

# Child discounts apply for all Off-Peak fares.
# Railcard holders get 1/3 off all Off-Peak fares. Senior, HM Forces and Disabled Persons Railcard holders also get 1/3 off all First Class Off-Peak fares.

Also the page for the conditions for the specific ticket (super off-peak deay return) says you should get a discount.
http://nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/offpeak_day_conditions.html

 

[Edvid]

In light of the above I'm not sure why they've been able to set specific conditions for their SOPD tickets. This was also the case during a similar promotional period marking the first 'St Pancras International' anniversary in late 2008.

 

[glynn80]

In light of the above I'm not sure why they've been able to set specific conditions for their SOPD tickets. This was also the case during a similar promotional period marking the first 'St Pancras International' anniversary in late 2008.

The basic answer is because the fares are what they call, "temporary fares". I could trawl the 1000 page Ticketing and Settlement Agreement to find the specific clause, but trust me with temporary fares they can set whichever regulations they like to the tickets, so long as they fall within the NRCoC.

 

[Edvid]

I see - thanks for the explanation.

 

[Mojo]

Super Off-peak day returns are available for local journeys within the Network West Midlands area for a flat fare of £1.50, with no Railcard discounts. These aren't "temporary fares."

 

[tony_mac]

Then the question is - why are national rail saying that railcard / child discounts apply to all off-peak fares, when it clearly isn't true?

 

[glynn80]

Super Off-peak day returns are available for local journeys within the Network West Midlands area for a flat fare of £1.50, with no Railcard discounts. These aren't "temporary fares."

The only obligatory discounts with regards to Railcards, are to those fares, that are Compulsory Inter-available Fares, these have been protected through a requirement in each operator’s franchise agreement. Each Compulsory Inter-available Flow is defined in one of the following ways:

• a single station to station Flow in the National Fares Manual (NFM), e.g. Huddersfield to Durham;
• as two or more station to station Flows in the NFM, e.g. Grantham to London Terminals route Any Permitted and route AP GNER only;
• as a Zonal Flow, which at the time, defined the permitted routes available for a specific product or products. e.g. All Zones One Day Travelcard.

I can only assume that the evening Super Off-Peak Day Returns for £1.50 are not Compulsory Inter-available Fares, I can certainly confirm they are not listed in the FRPP (replacement for the NFM) as station to station flows .


*NB, further information on Compulsory Inter-available Flows

5.2 Compulsory Inter-available Fares.
A Lead Operator is obliged to ensure that for each of its Compulsory Inter-available Flows, at least one Permanent Inter-available Fare is on sale at all times. The Lead Operator may create other fares for the Flow. These fares may be Permanent or Temporary Compulsory Inter-available Fares. Every Compulsory Inter-available Fare created by the Lead Operator of a Flow must be honoured by all other Train Companies who serve that Flow.

A Lead Operator may not create a First Class Inter-available Fare if it does not offer First Class accommodation on its own trains, without the full agreement of all other Companies serving the Flow and on the condition that the price of the First Class Fare
exceeds the Standard Class equivalent.

The price of a Compulsory Inter-available Fare, and any restriction of validity, is entirely at the discretion of the Lead Operator, subject to any limitations imposed by the Lead Operator’s Franchise Agreement. These will include:

• an obligation to offer children (under 16s) a price discount at least as favourable as that approved by the SRA, for the Young Person’s Railcard (the current discount factor is 34%);
• compliance with specific Fares Regulation requirements;
• a duty to behave in an even-handed manner when determining validity restrictions, and TSA
• a duty not to engage in disruptive or anti-competitive pricing practices.

Where it mentions SRA, we can assume the document now refers to the DfT.

 

[jopsuk]

So, weekends from Cambridge to London:
Any Route Off Peak Day Return: £20
NXEA Off Peak Day Return: £15.20: (to Liverpool Street, 71/82 min up, 72/83 down. Also valid to Tottenham Hale and Stratford)
FCC Super Off Peak Day Return: £15 (to Kings Cross, Out as quick as 48min, return as low as 46min)
NXEA Super Off Peak Day Return: £14 (exactly the same validity at weekends as the non-"Super" version)
Any Route Off Peak Day Return (with railcard): £13.20
NXEA Off Peak Day Return (with railcard): £10.05
NXEA Super Off Peak Day Return (with Railcard): £9.25

Really, an FCC SPODR (with railcard) should slot in at £10. But it doesn't, making the "Any Route" the best if flexibility is needed, yes?

 

[mathmo]

I was just looking at this earlier - there are a lot of fares from Cambridge to London now! Personally I'd always pay the extra to get the FCC trains: the time saved is well worth it (especially compared to the time spent on a packed NXEA train from Liverpool Street when the ECML wires were down...)