Freedom pass strike days

[pethadine82]

A family member needs to travel to Bracknell from NW London.
The intended plan was Elizabeth line to Reading using their freedom pass and then pay to use SWR to Bracknell. If there are strikes on can you use GWR services instead? Are freedom passes valid on Green line buses as another option would be x140 to Heathrow and Greenline to Bracknell. Thanks

 

[sonic2009]

I believe the Freedom pass can be used after 9:30 on the 703 from Heathrow to Bracknell, unless it's a bank holiday then it's anytime - Freedom Passes are only valid as far as West Drayton on GWR AFAIK.

 

[MikeWh]

Freedom Pass is not valid on GWR beyond West Drayton. That won't change if the EL is on strike.

If Greenline accepts ENCTS passes then the freedom pass will be valid, as long as its an older person's one.

 

[danielcanning]

Freedom Pass is not valid on GWR beyond West Drayton. That won't change if the EL is on strike.

If Greenline accepts ENCTS passes then the freedom pass will be valid, as long as it’s an older person's one.

Disabled freedom passes have the same validity on buses outside London as old age ones....

 

[MikeWh]

Disabled freedom passes have the same validity on buses outside London as old age ones....

I stand corrected then.

 

[pelli]

It seems that the standard Disabled Freedom Pass is valid outside London, but there is a type of Disabled Freedom Pass that isn't:
https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass/using-pass/using-your-pass-outside-london

Using your pass outside of London

The Freedom Pass allows you to travel on local bus services across England during off-peak times - 9.30am to 11pm Monday to Friday and all day at other times. The red rose symbol on your pass denotes that you have this right - known as the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS). It does not allow you to use trams, trains or any other modes of transport.

Government Legislation does not allow free travel outside London if your pass is a 'discretionary' disabled pass

https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/s...edom-pass/discretionary-disabled-freedom-pass

A number of boroughs issue discretionary Freedom Passes to disabled people who do not meet the statutory eligibility criteria.
[...]
If you are a discretionary passholder, your pass is not valid for travel outside of London. You have the same entitlement as other Freedom Pass holders on Transport for London (TfL) buses, tube, trams, DLR and national rail within Greater London.

There are some non-TfL bus routes that run across the London boundary where your pass will not be valid. Please check with the operator to ensure that your Freedom Pass is valid.

The Greenline 703 is operated by Reading Buses, which do have a web page about concessions that doesn't mention any exclusions, so one would assume they accept ENCTS passes on all lines:
https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/concessions

 

[pethadine82]

The person is aged 68 and the Freedom pass has a Red Rose on it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Dec 2022 ==

Why won't another operater accept a passenger on strike days? Surely there is a duty of care and the other TOC do receive some government money during the course of the year to keep the franchise going?

 

[Watershed]

Why won't another operater accept a passenger on strike days?

Because, in the case of a concessionary pass, they're not obliged to.

Surely there is a duty of care

There is (to an extent), but it doesn't mean that they necessarily have to carry the concessionary pass holder.

the other TOC do receive some government money during the course of the year to keep the franchise going?

That's irrelevant - they would receive this money regardless of whether or not a particular passenger travels, or holds a ticket.

 

[AlterEgo]

Why won't another operater accept a passenger on strike days? Surely there is a duty of care

There is no duty of care towards strangers you have no commercial obligation or relationship with, in relation to just letting them travel for free. If they turned up, and expected to travel for free, duty of care would extend to making sure the person was safe and well, which doesn't extend to just letting them have your services for free.

 

[gray1404]

Greenline 703 operated by Reading Buses accept ENCTS passes. I've used mine on that service many times without any issues whatsoever.

 

[matt_world2004]

The current strikes are more likely to effect the gwr services rather than the Elizabeth line with GwR their staff are on strike but the Elizabeth lines aren't. Network rail signallers are on strike too

 

[miklcct]

Freedom Pass is not valid on GWR beyond West Drayton. That won't change if the EL is on strike.

Has GWR ever arranged ticket acceptance when EL is on strike?

 

[MikeWh]

Has GWR ever arranged ticket acceptance when EL is on strike?

I don't know. We might find out next month when the EL is due to go on strike.

 

[Benjwri]

I don't know. We might find out next month when the EL is due to go on strike.

The Elizabeth Line has never been on strike, so as you say, we will not find out until the first strike.

I very much doubt it though, since the freedom pass is the only ticket which is valid only on the Elizabeth Line, and so I presume it will be overlooked. (Obviously there are certain Off-Peak tickets, such as those with restriction O9, which are not valid on most GWR trains in the Evening Peak, but I highly doubt GWR is in any rush to accept Off-Peak tickets on these services)

 

[matt_world2004]

Doesn't the proposed Elizabeth line strike only effect the core with a reduced service from Paddington mainline on those days