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Times/edit.: Network Rail and train companies are fleecing passengers

The Times (London)
August 24, 2004

Taken for a ride
Network Rail and train companies are fleecing passengers
(Leader)

Faced with the public outcry at the exorbitant prices charged for rail
fares bought at a station for travel on the day, rail companies point
to the huge savings possible by booking ahead. An open return to
Manchester now costs £182, whereas a ticket booked well in advance can
cost as little as £22. But those hoping to take the train during the
coming Bank Holiday face a rude shock: some companies are refusing to
sell cheap tickets because, they say, they do not know how the
engineering works will affect the timetable. Anyone wanting to travel
during the holiday period will have to pay prices that are way above
most people's budget.

The train companies lay the blame squarely on Network Rail. They say
the infrastructure company is failing to give them the required 12
weeks' notice of engineering works. Scandalously, engineering works
for this weekend were announced only yesterday. Operators refuse to
accept bookings in advance as they have no idea when their trains will
be running. Since taking all maintenance work back in-house, and with
its overall responsibility for timetabling under the Government's
latest rail reorganisation, Network Rail has shown an arrogance and
disdain for passenger interests that, critics say, bears out their
worst fears about this quasi-renationalisation.

It is certainly true that a vast programme of engineering works is now
under way, necessitating the closure of stretches of busy track,
including the West Coast Main Line, for many weekends. In some cases
blockades have lasted for weeks. But the failure to specify how these
works will affect train operations is inexcusable. The main argument
for removing maintenance contracts from outside companies was that
this would give Network Rail greater control over costs and
specifications.

Instead, this advantage has been dissipated by Network Rail's lazy
addition of extra days to line possession as an insurance against
over-running. Such cavalier disregard of passenger interests should be
penalised — either by statutory fines or by sizeable reductions in the
bonuses of Network Rail directors. But the operating companies are
almost as much to blame. They appear to have made little effort to pin
down the exact dates of maintenance operations. Clearly, the excuse
that they cannot sell cheap tickets in advance is convenient, and
allows them to charge the full fares for far many more leisure
travellers than normal. What efforts have they made to seek redress
from Network Rail? What is to stop them taking cheap advance bookings
as normal, but saying simply that the money will be refunded if trains
are not operating on that day?

The suspicion must be that both Network Rail and the operating
companies are using maintenance as an excuse for price-gouging. They
know that turn-up-and-go passengers are now mostly business travellers
or others buying tickets at the last moment with no alternative means
of travel. This is where the bulk of the operators' money is earned
and, despite various eye-catching programmes to fill seats during
off-peak hours and to entice leisure travellers back to the rails,
most train companies have little interest in the extra effort that
this requires.

The chaos in advance bookings for the holiday has also uncovered the
subtle squeeze on cheaper fares across the network. Train companies
are relentlessly now trying to claw back the money lost on promotional
offers by restricting the numbers of seats available, lengthening the
"peak" period when cheap tickets are invalid and making little effort
to offer passengers any cheaper alternatives. This is commercially and
politically short-sighted. Trains already cost taxpayers a fortune.
Most want to get a good bargain, at least during the holiday season,
when they need to use them.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...229817,00.html

"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...

That is clearly badly-worded. Certainly during the weekend, there is
no reason why *anyone* should have to pay £182 for a SOR, as SVRs are
rather a lot cheaper (~50 quid) and available all day. (I'm not sure
if this applies on Bank Holiday Monday, but I suspect it probably
does).

Nor does anyone have a *right* to purchase a VV or similar discounted ticket
for any particular train - if a TOC thinks they can fill a train with SORs
and/or SVRs (or if they think that the revenue they'd lose from offering
discounted tickets to passengers who are prepared to pay for flexible
tickets is greater than the revenue they'd gain from extra sales) they'd be
stupid to offer any quota of discounted tickets.
Peter

Sufaud wrote:

But those hoping to take the train during the
coming Bank Holiday face a rude shock: some companies are refusing to
sell cheap tickets because, they say, they do not know how the
engineering works will affect the timetable. Anyone wanting to travel
during the holiday period will have to pay prices that are way above
most people's budget.

This is nothing new, and the reason isn't always due to engineering work
as the TOCs send out their data to stations around 10-14 days beforehand
in most cases.

The TOCs reduce the amount of advance-purchase tickets at busy times so
they can make more money. Whilst passengers may not like it, the railway
is a business and is there to make money.

Quite why the media have 'suddenly' picked up on something that's been
going on for at least 10 years I don't know.

Ta,
--
Rob
http://www.uicstock.org.uk/
To reply, remove zudo

Peter Masson wrote:

Nor does anyone have a *right* to purchase a VV or similar discounted ticket
for any particular train

Agreed. People often come to my window *expecting* to get an AP ticket
for travel on a Friday and go away rather disappointed when I explain
the quota wasn't there in the first place!

--
Rob
http://www.uicstock.org.uk/
To reply, remove zudo

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:59:29 GMT The Doctor
said...

Nor does anyone have a *right* to purchase a VV or similar discounted ticket
for any particular train

Agreed. People often come to my window *expecting* to get an AP ticket
for travel on a Friday and go away rather disappointed when I explain
the quota wasn't there in the first place!

What all trains on a Friday or just say a few at peak times? Surely by
applying some sales tactics by offering alternatives (different times at
a good price vs. a higher price at the customer's preferred time) might
lead to a booking?

--
Phil Richards
London, UK
Home page: http://www.philrichards1.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk