Who decides who is the lead operator?

[mikeg]

Just a quick question: Who is it who makes the decision as to who the lead operator is for a given flow? I take it that once it has been decided it remains as so until another TOC challenges it (as XC did with various flows) and is not updated automatically.
For example, according to NFM07 Blackpool North to Edinburgh is still priced by Crosscountry, despite the route that most likely gave Crosscountry its position of lead operator having gone to Transpennine Express.
Another example, when I was at Keele I got a train from Stoke on Trent to Tamworth and was surprised to find a London Midland only fare given that London Midland operate virtually all passenger services between these two stations. It turns out that Virgin set the interavailable fare - presumably they used to operate between SOT and Tamworth quite frequently?

Surely wouldn't it make sense to use ORCATS revenue data to decide who has the most commercial interest in a flow and set the lead operator accordingly. I suppose that might mean flows changing hands more often, but that way it would always be with the right company.

And yes, I've just got my new toy, Avantix Traveller and have been looking up fares for longer than is healthy.

 

[wibble]

I think a lot of the lead operator flows are a hang over from BR sectorisation. With TOC boundaries changing at every franchise change, some flows will transfer across to new operators and others may be missed.

ORCATS is likely to show that TPE is the lead operator between Blackpool Nth and Edinburgh, but as they receive the majority of the revenue they may not be too bothered about owning the flow unless it starts to undercut or comprimise their pricing strategy.

 

[First class]

You will find that 'flows' operate on a 'bidding' system. TOCs can bid to set the fare (and usually collect the most money if successful).

TPE set Liverpool-Manchester despite only operating 1tph, when Northern operate up to 3 times that many...

 

[12CSVT]

Who sets the fares on the Leicester - Nuneaton line ? All the intermediate stations are operated by East Midlands Trains, yet Cross Country run all the trains on this route.

 

[First class]

Who sets the fares on the Leicester - Nuneaton line ? All the intermediate stations are operated by East Midlands Trains, yet Cross Country run all the trains on this route.

CrossCountry set Leicester-Nuneaton.


You can get Advance tickets via London too apparently, +XC Only??!! Another database cockup.

 

[bb21]

...All the intermediate stations are operated by East Midlands Trains, yet Cross Country run all the trains on this route.

I think that was because XC doesn't actually run ANY station, even dating back to Virgin era.

 

[yorkie]

You will find that 'flows' operate on a 'bidding' system. TOCs can bid to set the fare (and usually collect the most money if successful).

TPE set Liverpool-Manchester despite only operating 1tph, when Northern operate up to 3 times that many...

Are you sure? I've not heard this! Any more info?

 

[wibble]

You can get Advance tickets via London too apparently, +XC Only??!! Another database cockup.

Not really a database cock up - it's just a poorly done job. XC have probably set up Super Clusters for pricing their Advance fares which leads to these anomolies. e.g. Wellingborough to Woking rout XC Only and no cross London transfer!