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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 |
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"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 |
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"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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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