First class lounges for all

[markymark2000]

I will be travelling soon from Manchester Piccadilly station in first class on a Cross Country service. I see that MAN has a First Class lounge. I have read that this, in common with most others around the country, is for Avanti passengers only.

My suggestion would be a new organisation that own and operate all first class lounges which would be available to first class ticket holders for any TOC serving the particular station. What do others think?

I am not sure we need a new organisation to own and operate the lounges, just make it so that where they are available, they are mandated that they must be open to all TOCs except open access unless they pay for it. Or where you have an Open Access First Class ticket, you can pay a small supplement for the lounge access pay per use sort of thing (offered both as an addon to the train ticket or pay the extra at the station booking office)


In response to some other peoples comments about the cheap first class tickets, I argue that no first class tickets should even be available if a journey is 25 minutes or less based on the average journey time. The uplift for First then is useless as anyone paying the premium isn't going to get any value out of first class for shorter journeys (no sooner have you sat down, you are getting back up again). Let's simplify the fare system and save any of these issues with short distance first class tickets getting lounge access. 2 birds, one stone.