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Using Concessionary Bus Passes on Trains

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ReverendFozz

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Murton, Co. Durham
Just wondering about where can a concessionary pass be used on the Railways...

I have a Concessionary Pass for my disability and I have in the past been entitled use it in my local area on the Railways to get a half price fare, I have a Co. Durham Pass and when I first got the pass in 2009 it entitled me to use the pass on the:-

Durham Coast(Newcastle-Middlesbrough)
Tees Valley(Bishop-Middlesbrough) and I think the ECML(Newcastle-Darlington).

It got me wondering if other Counties work with TOC's and with ENCTS being able to be used on any bus seemingly anywhere, would I say be able to use my Co. Durham pass in another that has some form agreement with local TOC's e.g Would my Pass be valid in, say, South Yorkshire for half price on a train if it was offered for pass holders there, or is that kind of arrangement done purely on a local level...

Hope that makes sense, thanks in advace for a reply

Mista Fozz
 
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starrymarkb

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Once you are outside your home area then officially all you get is Bus travel after 9:30 regardless of what the locals get.
 

MCR247

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I think Derbyshire give you a discount on trains to Manchester iirc
 

anthony263

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Bus pass holders along the heart of wales line used to be allowed free travel on heart of wales line services not too sure if this is still valid though
 

Greenback

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Bus pass holders along the heart of wales line used to be allowed free travel on heart of wales line services not too sure if this is still valid though

It isn't valid in the summer, from a date in May I think. It was definitely allowed last winter.
 

bus man

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It depends on the county south yorks offer rail travel within the county for oap and other pass holders and over the boundary travel to west yorks (no change of train allowed). However , this is only allowed to SY pass holders it is NOT permitted for other pass holders.

Its up to the county some counties dont recognise the "helper" pass for people with servere disabilities from other areas on the grounds that they dont issue them .

Its a case of looking at the website for each county council or pte unless someone knows of a site which lists them all.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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I'd love to know if mine would be valid around Preston. I know it can be used in Manchester (or at least is valid) last time I checked but how could I use it around Preston?
 

Statto

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At home or at the pub
The English National Pass issued by the PTE are the old PTE pass[which would include buses, trains &, or Ferries, Trams] with the rest of England included for bus travel only.

English National Passes outside the PTE areas are issued by local Councils/Authorities & would think very few of these, would have rail travel included on the Passes. Although check with your local Council/Authority if your unsure if the Passes can be used on trains.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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A GMPTE endorsed pass only allows concessionary train travel in GMPTE area.

That area is now known as the TfGM area. The validity period for those TfGM-entitled defined pass holders, using both heavy rail services or the Manchester Metrolink light rail system, that are within the TfGM administered boundaries, is after 0930 from Mondays to Fridays, but remains valid for use all day on Saturday, Sunday and on Bank Holidays. The TfGM administered area is very large indeed.
 

Anvil1984

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Sorry for using the old terms, old habits die hard.

Just using the point that many pass holders think when they go into one of these PTE / ITA areas they get the same terms as the locals which isnt the case
 

MK Tom

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My understanding is that MK concessionary passes are valid on the WCML between Wolverton and Bletchley and on the Marston Vale as far as Woburn Sands. I don't know if there are discounts to Northampton or anything like that?
 

dvboy

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A pass issued by Centro can be used on trains withing the Network West Midlands area after 9:30.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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On the FAQs, I am told Nowcards can't be used on Metrolink - I've always been able to and the guards at Piccadilly let me on board...
 

Anvil1984

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Well the Metrolink FAQs also make it clear that you can't use Non GM passes on the tram. If found using the pass on the train then you run the risk of being charged full fare on board or potetially worse
 

bb21

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On the FAQs, I am told Nowcards can't be used on Metrolink - I've always been able to and the guards at Piccadilly let me on board...

You have been very lucky to not have been caught by revenue protection staff. You will be liable for the Standard Fare of £100 if so.
 

Welshman

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Senior Concessionary Bus-Pass holders living in Gwynedd can use their passes on the Conwy Valley trains at any time, and on the Cambrian Coast trains out of season - ie. from 1st October 2012 to 31st March 2013, with the exception of four trains during school terms.

Conductors certainly have to be on the ball on that line!
 
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Blindtraveler

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Nowhere near enough to a Pacer :(
In Scotland certain disabled groups? Primarrilly the Vision Impaired have there transport Scotland Issued, Local council administered National consession cards indorsed with an Eye symble which entitles travel on trains and most ferrys Scotland wide and as far as Berwick and Carlisle with no real time limmits. Its very generus and theres no morning peek restriction on bus travel iether however guards on TOCs going south of the border are increesingly not recognising them and I have, as a regular cross border user started paying.
 

reb0118

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In Scotland certain disabled groups, primarily the Vision Impaired have their transport Scotland issued, local council administered, national concession cards endorsed with an eye symbol which entitles travel on trains and most ferries Scotlandwide and also as far as Berwick and Carlisle, with no real time limits. It's very generous and there's no morning peak restriction on bus travel either however some guards on TOCs going south of the border are increasingly not recognising them and I have, as a regular cross border user, started paying.

This is plain wrong! If you are asked to pay then politely inform the guard of his error. If the guard insists then unfortunately you will have to pay - but do so under duress and state that you are paying under duress! Ask the guard to print his name and number on the back of any ticket you are issued - as he is "right" he should have no problems in doing so, and inform the guard you will be applying for a refund (hopefully you will also get some extra ex-gratia vouchers on top) at your earliest convenience.

It really should not come to the above but this may be the simplest way of stamping out the problem. You could always refuse to pay - esp if you did not have the means to, and be issued with a Ticket Irregularity Report [TIR] or Unpaid Fares Notice [UFN]. Ensure that the correct details from your concession card are inserted onto the form prior to signing.

Good luck in your endeavors!
 

p123

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In the SPT (Strathclyde) area, bus passes allow seniors (and, possibly those with a disabled one + companion too) a 60p fare up to a distance of x miles.

Unless you hadn't guessed, I don't know the value of x!
 

reb0118

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In the SPT (Strathclyde) area, bus passes allow seniors (and, possibly those with a disabled one + companion too) a 60p fare up to a distance of x miles.

Unless you hadn't guessed, I don't know the value of x!

x = 10 miles.

The concession fare is now 80p single & £1.20 return for journeys under 10 miles, for more than 10 miles the fare is half the anytime sgl/rtn except where the rural flat fare exists between Helensburgh & Oban and Ayr & Barrhill.
 

transmanche

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It looks like the London Boroughs' Freedom Pass is still the most generous concession card around.

Free travel on:
  • All TfL bus services, without time restriction
  • All tube services, without time restriction
  • All DLR services, without time restriction
  • All London Overground services, without time restriction
  • All tram services, without time restriction
  • Chiltern - Marylebone-Amersham and South Ruislip-West Ruislip services, without time restriction
  • London Midland - Wembley Central-Harrow & Wealdstone services, without time restriction
  • FCC - West Hampstead-Elephant & Castle and Finsbury Park-Moorgate services, without time restriction
  • Greater Anglia - Liverpool Street-Stratford services, without time restriction
  • C2C - Fenchurch Street-Upminster services, without time restriction
  • Southern - Clapham Junction-Harrow & Wealdstone services, except 04.30-09.00 Mon-Fri (no time restriction for Disabled Persons' pass holders)
  • All other National Rail services within Greater London, except 04:30-09:30 Mon-Fri

And the GLA is now funding a new 60+ card from the autumn - giving free TfL travel for those aged over 60, but who don't yet qualify for a Freedom Pass.
 

Blindtraveler

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Nowhere near enough to a Pacer :(
This is plain wrong! If you are asked to pay then politely inform the guard of his error. If the guard insists then unfortunately you will have to pay - but do so under duress and state that you are paying under duress! Ask the guard to print his name and number on the back of any ticket you are issued - as he is "right" he should have no problems in doing so, and inform the guard you will be applying for a refund (hopefully you will also get some extra ex-gratia vouchers on top) at your earliest convenience.

It really should not come to the above but this may be the simplest way of stamping out the problem. You could always refuse to pay - esp if you did not have the means to, and be issued with a Ticket Irregularity Report [TIR] or Unpaid Fares Notice [UFN]. Ensure that the correct details from your concession card are inserted onto the form prior to signing.

Good luck in your endeavors!



thanks, I have pritty much given up fighting it. The worst offenders are TPE with there rood staff, overcrouding and customer service that makes rianair look good. They have (when Iv tried) never given me a refund, been very rood and on last 2 journeys thrown me out at Lockerbie saying they cant be bothered UPfn'Ing me despite my offer to pay (with DSB Railcard naturally).
There are a cupple of VT Preston crews who scratch there head about it but on the whole Virgin are fine. Unfortunately I make this trip so often that starting off with a ticket is now by far the easiest option unless I know for 100 percent sure that I can stick to Scots crewed Virgin runs. An interesting thing is that if splitting at CAR to continue south, even onto a stupidly cheep advance not a word is said. Splitting at Berwick in the same way can sometimes be an issue though with some XC staff and 1 EC Guard (hes from Newcastle and I believe known to a few on here as being awquard) iether not allowing it at all or giving the hell of a time over it.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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Preston
On the FAQs, I am told Nowcards can't be used on Metrolink - I've always been able to and the guards at Piccadilly let me on board...

You have been very lucky to not have been caught by revenue protection staff. You will be liable for the Standard Fare of £100 if so.

The staff let me on at Piccadilly and Weaste today. No staff at Market Street for my last journey of the day.

It looks like the London Boroughs' Freedom Pass is still the most generous concession card around.

Free travel on:
  • All TfL bus services, without time restriction
  • All tube services, without time restriction
  • All DLR services, without time restriction
  • All London Overground services, without time restriction
  • All tram services, without time restriction
  • Chiltern - Marylebone-Amersham and South Ruislip-West Ruislip services, without time restriction
  • London Midland - Wembley Central-Harrow & Wealdstone services, without time restriction
  • FCC - West Hampstead-Elephant & Castle and Finsbury Park-Moorgate services, without time restriction
  • Greater Anglia - Liverpool Street-Stratford services, without time restriction
  • C2C - Fenchurch Street-Upminster services, without time restriction
  • Southern - Clapham Junction-Harrow & Wealdstone services, except 04.30-09.00 Mon-Fri (no time restriction for Disabled Persons' pass holders)
  • All other National Rail services within Greater London, except 04:30-09:30 Mon-Fri

And the GLA is now funding a new 60+ card from the autumn - giving free TfL travel for those aged over 60, but who don't yet qualify for a Freedom Pass.

How do you get Freedom then?
 

Anvil1984

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The staff let me on at Piccadilly and Weaste today. No staff at Market Street for my last journey of the day.



How do you get Freedom then?

So you ignored the forums advice and put yourself at risk of a standard fare :roll:
 
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