Railcards to go up by £5

[Watershed]

Historical reasons that the industry has never sought to review is the short answer.

Huntingdon marks the NSE/InterCity boundary on the ECML, Manningtree on the GEML, Northampton/Wolverton on the WCML, Didcot on the GWML and Bedwyn on the Berks & Hants.

Which is made all the stranger when you consider that Intercity-sector stock was used on commuter runs on several of these lines - and still is, in some cases. At the end of the day it's completely arbitrary.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Historical reasons that the industry has never sought to review is the short answer.

Huntingdon marks the NSE/InterCity boundary on the ECML, Manningtree on the GEML, Northampton/Wolverton on the WCML, Didcot on the GWML and Bedwyn on the Berks & Hants.

Isn't it Exeter Central on the South West main line? That might have been operational so there wasn't a need for an Inter-City service out of Waterloo.

 

[thedbdiboy]

Yes, apparently discounted commuting is acceptable across the rest of the network.

Or indeed in the L&SE area as long as your journey also extends beyond that area. From a rational perspective there's no good explanation as to why a Peterborough to London commuter should benefit from discounted fares whilst a Huntingdon to London one shouldn't.

Historical reasons that the industry has never sought to review is the short answer.

Huntingdon marks the NSE/InterCity boundary on the ECML, Manningtree on the GEML, Northampton/Wolverton on the WCML, Didcot on the GWML and Bedwyn on the Berks & Hants.

This is a legacy of BR's passenger division sectorisation - the restriction was a Network SouthEast one. There will always be aribitrary 'boundaries' where such divisions occur.

Why it's never changed is that there had been an absence in the ensuing years of any equivalent structure to change it. The legacy limits were left in place at privatisation but an early attempt (in 1998) to withdraw Network Railcard was quickly shot down. TOCs were subject to competition legislation so couldn't 'collude' to create new similar pan-TOC products but were prevented from changing the old ones to any great significance. Eventually we can presume that GBR will be able to tackle these issues, but as a publicly funded body we can expect there to be winners and losers from any such changes

 

[Llandudno]

This is a legacy of BR's passenger division sectorisation - the restriction was a Network SouthEast one. There will always be aribitrary 'boundaries' where such divisions occur.

Why it's never changed is that there had been an absence in the ensuing years of any equivalent structure to change it. The legacy limits were left in place at privatisation but an early attempt (in 1998) to withdraw Network Railcard was quickly shot down. TOCs were subject to competition legislation so couldn't 'collude' to create new similar pan-TOC products but were prevented from changing the old ones to any great significance. Eventually we can presume that GBR will be able to tackle these issues, but as a publicly funded body we can expect there to be winners and losers from any such changes

I suspect there would be many more losers than winners, similar to the LNER fare (swindle) trial!

 

[infobleep]

I suspect there would be many more losers than winners, similar to the LNER fare (swindle) trial!

I guess enjoy whatever savings you have while it lasts and if it lasts longer than you expected, a bonus.

 

[JonathanH]

I guess enjoy whatever savings you have while it lasts and if it lasts longer than you expected, a bonus.

Bingo! Never expect that a special offer or discount will persist or improve. Make the most of it while you can. If it ever does improve, great.

 

[island]

Isn't it Exeter Central on the South West main line? That might have been operational so there wasn't a need for an Inter-City service out of Waterloo.

You're thinking of the West of England line (South West Mainline being to Weymouth), and whilst all of that line from Basingstoke to Exeter St Davids is in the Network Railcard zone, on the B&H the old Network SouthEast ends at Bedwyn.

 

[JamesT]

It would be undesirable to do everything in one go.

I'm sure we will eventually be told 'minimum spends haven't increased in over a decade', for what will be their flimsy justification for doing so.

The Network Railcard mimimum spend was brought in at £10, in 2002.

Later raised to the current £13, in 2009.

£10 in 2002 would be £18.14 now, according to the BoE inflation calculator. £13 in 2009 would equate to £20.29.

 

[yorksrob]

I guess enjoy whatever savings you have while it lasts and if it lasts longer than you expected, a bonus.

No. Rage, rage against the dieing of the light ("the light" in this instance being affordable walk on fares).