Priv Questions

[martyn29]

I might be going on GC York- sunderland.. return,or NTR-SUN whats the best ticket? I have a priv pass.

 

[Gizmogle]

GC don't take priv.

IIRC it was best to split at Hartlepool or something like that?


Oh, and a question from me. Do priv holders get acommodation/travel if they miss their train due to delay?

 

[Donny Dave]

I might be going on GC York- sunderland.. return,or NTR-SUN whats the best ticket? I have a priv pass.

Grand Central don't accept PRIV on their own tickets, but the do accept them on inter available tickets. (IE. Any TOC.)

I'm not sure of the prices, (and I'm that tired, I can't be bothered to check), but I think a PRIV return between York and Sunderland is cheaper than a GC only ticket. I'm sure someone will be able to confirm that, or prove me wrong ....

 

[yorkie]

They don't officially accept PRIV discounted tickets but they will in reality, accept them.

There is not much difference in price between the GC only and PRIV discounted fares from York to Sunderland.

 

[91101]

GC don't take priv.

Oh, and a question from me. Do priv holders get acommodation/travel if they miss their train due to delay?

If you have a PRIV ticket then you are subject to the National Rail Conditions of Carraige and yes, overnight accomodation, onward taxi travel etc all apply to you, regardless of the fact that you have a heavily discounted ticket. Most PRIV tickets are still more expensive than cheap AP's. My mate is coming to London and it's costing him £12 from Leeds but for me to use a priv its more (well its not cos my company has free travel with the Great National Express Railway but thats beside the point).

A grey area is free travel facilites such as those provided by your own TOC, I would assume that you're still bound by the NRCoC, but I do know that a friend of mine who was safeguarded got a Virgin TM to do him a taxi authorisation on the sly because without her doing it he would have had a nice pleasent night in York due to delay that FGW had caused!

 

[Mojo]

Oh, and a question from me. Do priv holders get acommodation/travel if they miss their train due to delay?

Before I lost my Priv I have had two taxis from FGW and one from Chiltern because of delays/cancellations.

Myself & my Mum have also had loads of Rail Travel Vouchers because of delays/cancellations.

I don't know what the case is though if you are for travelling for free (as opposed to paying the 25% fare).

 

[driver9000]

for non-safeguarded staff (TOCNE after 1 April 1996) you are only permitted free travel on your own TOCs trains. As you are travelling on a staff privilege - remember free passes are a gratuity and dont form part of your contract, Id be suprised if the company gave compensation as they would to a fare paying passenger. They may however aid you in getting home after lengthy delays after the last train had gone. NRoC doesnt have a staff travel section anyone who works for a TOC would have to refer to the issuing office of their pass or contact ATOC for priv queries.

 

[1D53]

I know Northern don't provide onward travel for Northern pass holders if delayed on Northern services.

 

[Gizmogle]

I'm not bothered about compensation or anything. I just want to know, that if whilst using free travel (no PRIV purchased ticket) I would be able to get home or have somewhere safe to stay for the night.

 

[yorkie]

Not sure but it doesn't sound right that a hotel or expensive taxi should be paid for if someone is travelling free, but I could be wrong... may be best to write directly to ATOC for clarification?

 

[dan_atki]

Not sure but it doesn't sound right that a hotel or expensive taxi should be paid for if someone is travelling free, but I could be wrong... may be best to write directly to ATOC for clarification?

What equally doesn't sound right is that say I decide to go for a day in Brighton (furthest extent I could reach on an FCC pass) with some friends. They need to buy tickets but I don't seeing as I hold a free travel pass.

Ok, for some strange reason we still happen to be in Brighton at 2300. Go back to the station to get the last train home. But it's been cancelled.

Fair enough, my friends would be put into overnight accommodation straight away.

Here they'd have a choice with me. I could either spend 5-6 hours (probably alone) in Brighton station. Which, for those who don't know, is cold and reasonably small for a terminus and probably unstaffed in the small hours.

Or they could pay for me to go into the local Travel Inn.

Now, say Brighton station is unstaffed overnight and something should happen to me, or the station whilst I'm there. Who's responsible for that?

It would seem mighty unfair (and would cause a lot of worry for them) if they treat me as though I'm travelling without a ticket and I have no rights. After all had it not have been for the staff pass I would have bought a ticket.

I think in cases like these (and rare as they are) it's a situation 'deal with one as you'd like to be dealt with yourself', as after all one day they may find themselves in a similar predicament and they're not going to be none too happy if they don't get accommodation/a taxi.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

As a rule of thumb I think you could basically say FARE PAYING PASSENGERS.

 

[Gizmogle]

Surely the TOC would have a lot of bad press if they left a young girl like myself to sleep rough when it was their trains that were delayed? They wouldn't want that to happen...

 

[Craig]

I think I said earlier in this thread that I've had hotel accommodation provided when missing a connection due to a delay. I'm not sure what the official stance is, but I doubt they would refuse to do anything. Presumably if you were stuck at Stockport there would be other passengers in a similar situation that they would have to sort out. Also if the delay was caused by another company they would more than likely be passing on the costs anyway, so whether you've paid for your ticket or not would be come irrelevant (but that is fairly academic).

You could try contacting the Network Rail staff travel help desk, they should be able to clear things up:
http://www.atoc.org/rst/Contacts/_t3.asp

 

[paul1609]

What equally doesn't sound right is that say I decide to go for a day in Brighton (furthest extent I could reach on an FCC pass) with some friends. They need to buy tickets but I don't seeing as I hold a free travel pass.

Ok, for some strange reason we still happen to be in Brighton at 2300. Go back to the station to get the last train home. But it's been cancelled.

Fair enough, my friends would be put into overnight accommodation straight away.

Here they'd have a choice with me. I could either spend 5-6 hours (probably alone) in Brighton station. Which, for those who don't know, is cold and reasonably small for a terminus and probably unstaffed in the small hours.

Or they could pay for me to go into the local Travel Inn.

Now, say Brighton station is unstaffed overnight and something should happen to me, or the station whilst I'm there. Who's responsible for that?

It would seem mighty unfair (and would cause a lot of worry for them) if they treat me as though I'm travelling without a ticket and I have no rights. After all had it not have been for the staff pass I would have bought a ticket.

I think in cases like these (and rare as they are) it's a situation 'deal with one as you'd like to be dealt with yourself', as after all one day they may find themselves in a similar predicament and they're not going to be none too happy if they don't get accommodation/a taxi.

I'm surprised that you think of Brighton as a small terminal as its by far the largest terminal station in the South outside of London. It is also the 21st busiest station in terms of passenger numbers think York or bristol TM X 2!

Basically the station is staffed 24 hours a day although it closes for to the public for 2 hours every night for security reasons. The ticket office is open 22 hours a day.

It is very rare for the last trains from brighton to be cancelled as they generally carry a high number of passengers. When the last Thameslink train is cancelled (usually because of problems up north) there are emergency arrangements for an extra Southern service to run to Gatwick Airport.

In the event of infrastructure failure there are emergency arrangements to provide a bus service to north of the blockage both with metrobus and brighton and hove.

There are loads of people every night who through there own fault miss the last trains when these turn up they are directed to either a taxi or the coach station (there is a national express service at 0100)at their own expense.

 

[Gizmogle]

I think dan_atki was just making an example...

 

[dan_atki]

I'm surprised that you think of Brighton as a small terminal as its by far the largest terminal station in the South outside of London. It is also the 21st busiest station in terms of passenger numbers think York or bristol TM X 2!

Basically the station is staffed 24 hours a day although it closes for to the public for 2 hours every night for security reasons. The ticket office is open 22 hours a day.

It is very rare for the last trains from brighton to be cancelled as they generally carry a high number of passengers. When the last Thameslink train is cancelled (usually because of problems up north) there are emergency arrangements for an extra Southern service to run to Gatwick Airport.

In the event of infrastructure failure there are emergency arrangements to provide a bus service to north of the blockage both with metrobus and brighton and hove.

There are loads of people every night who through there own fault miss the last trains when these turn up they are directed to either a taxi or the coach station (there is a national express service at 0100)at their own expense.

I think dan_atki was just making an example...

Indeed I was, unaware of the actual arrangements in place. :roll:

What I meant by 'small' is the fact that for a terminal with a large number of services using it to multiple destinations the concourse is not exactly massive - certainly there is room for expansion there (at a huge cost, admittedly).

OK then, change 'Brighton' in my above post for any other station where such arrangements with local bus companies do not exist and I miss the last connection or the last train is cancelled but there are staff available (or at least a help point)...

 

[xc170]

Yes VXCFan, priv holders are asked not to take any complimentary items from first class.

As my dad is an XC driver i often travel in first on his trains and try to take as much free stuff as i can :grin:

Ive never had much trouble with gaurds when it comes to priv but an ATW gaurd did try to make me fill in a square in on saturday on a new street - chester service even though i get unlimited free travel on XC & ATW because he did not recognise my XC pass.

 

[Gizmogle]

Lol, awesome. I got free crisps when I got upgraded to FC cause the guard was nice and just let me in

I wouldn't have filled it in! Should have explained that it was a XC pass so you didn't have to fill your box in, etc.

 

[xc170]

I didnt fill one in he realised he was wrong and apologised

 

[Gizmogle]

Ah, good stuff. I hate guards like that. I once got stuck at Watford Junction (I was feeling really ill aswell) cause the woman on the ticket barrier hadn't got a clue what I had just showed her and had to get a collegue to check I was valid.

 

[xc170]

sounds like most of the network rail guys on the ticket barriers at new street they either scrutinise your ticket and dont recognise any type of pass or dont bother looking at all i dont think they have realised that if you really want to get around them you just use the lift if brings you out in the carpark at the front of the station.

 

[Bayum]

Hahaha - I never acaully show my pass to Barrier people. Just hold it in my hand and walk past. You have a valid ticket anyways!!

 

[Mojo]

sounds like most of the network rail guys on the ticket barriers at new street they either scrutinise your ticket and dont recognise any type of pass or dont bother looking at all i dont think they have realised that if you really want to get around them you just use the lift if brings you out in the carpark at the front of the station.

They're London Midland staff. I've never been stopped there for showing an invalid ticket, though I did come across one woman who I think no longer works there who refused, point blank to allow someone to accompany me onto the platform. We had no choice but to ignore her (this was back in CT days). I saw her a few days later hassling people who didn't have their railcard signed.

I prefer the approach of the commuters who seem to come from the Bath direction in the mornings - just walk past really fast - "We have places to go, you know." :neutral:

 

[barty]

Dunno whether to tack my question onto the end of this giant thread or start another, I'm quite new here so I'll leave that one to the mods, who have the power!! <bows>

I'm about to start a new job with a TOC, what can I expect these days in terms of priv travel?

I used to work for Thames Trains pre-privatization, so I had my ten boxes in those days and priv rate for anything else after the boxes.

How does it go now?
- Free travel on the TOC you work for, nothing for the rest?
- Free on your TOC, priv on the rest?
- Boxes on your TOC, priv after your boxes run out?
- Free or Priv on other TOCs owned by the same parent company as your TOC?
etc etc etc

 

[91101]

Depends on the TOC and owning company:

The following is general travel for most companies
All TOC's except GC get the 75% TOC CARD - Priv rate tickets against Standard Open/Standard Day - what will become ANYTIME tickets.

FIRST GROUP
Free Travel on your TOC
10 Boxes for First Group Travel

STAGECOACH
Free travel on EMT/SWT
Nothing on Virgin despite Stagecoach owning 49% of them.

GOVIA
Free Travel on all GOAHEAD TOC's

NATIONAL EXPRESS
NXEA/C2C staff get free travel on each others services. As far as I know there is no travel facilities afforded to NXEA/C2C staff for use on NXEC and vis-versa. NXEC staff get free travel on NXEC and boxes for First Class Upgrades IIRC.

NORTHERN/MERSEYRAIL (SERCO-NED)
Free travel on each others franchises.

VIRGIN
Free travel on Virgin.

There are various reciprical arrangements in place that I'm aware of on a TOC by TOC basis.

NXEC/FCC staff enjoy free travel on NXEC at weekends for all purposes and during the week for residential travel. NXEC staff have unlimited travel with FCC at all times.

FSR/VIRGIN/XC/NXEC
Travel within Scotland at all times AFAIK

NORTHERN/TPE
Residential Travel only.

 

[dan_atki]

You also forgot Arriva

Employees of Arriva Trains Wales and CrossCountry have free travel on each others' services.

You can also get an International Priv rate card from ATOC RST too but requires you to send it back each year to get a new 'year sticker' put in it.

Normally the timescales of these passes are:
Your TOC free travel - when you start
TOCNE Priv card - 1 month of service
FIP International Priv card - 1 year of service

 

[91101]

Well I forget about Arriva by choice to be honest ...or try to heheh.

I cannot wait to get my FIP card, won't be bad going to Paris for £42!

 

[dan_atki]

Well I forget about Arriva by choice to be honest ...or try to heheh.

I cannot wait to get my FIP card, won't be bad going to Paris for £42!

fair enough! (Although you did mention XC once in your post :razz

Yeah the FIP does offer some good value, and on enquiry at the Eurostar ticket office in Waterloo (when it was still there!) they did actually spend some time in looking for the best value fares for us rather than just the first one that they found!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Thameslink (which is now FCC) did have an agreement with Midland Mainline (now EMT) for free travel to work on each others services, don't know if it still stands.

Also the ATOC priv pass is not valid on LUL services or Strathclyde PTE services. pre 96 staff still get discounts through their boxes.

Northern Employees can enjoy free travel on the Tyne and Wear Metro.