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Phone number for National Rail Enquiries

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Rail Ranger

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I am pleased to see that the phone number for National Rail Enquiries has changed to 03457 48 49 50.
 
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suzanneparis

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Frontera2

Sorry but I didn't understand your post.

What's not true?

Are you saying the number is wrong? Or are you saying that NRE didn't claim that they didn't need to change the number?

Finally, why is it good/bad that they have changed to that number?
 

su31

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I am pleased to see that the phone number for National Rail Enquiries has changed to 03457 48 49 50.

I believe the number started as 0345 484950 when NRE first started a call centre system but like many others it changed to 0845 to make money.

I too am glad they've caved in and changed back to a low cost number.
 

headshot119

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Frontera2

Sorry but I didn't understand your post.

What's not true?

Are you saying the number is wrong? Or are you saying that NRE didn't claim that they didn't need to change the number?

Finally, why is it good/bad that they have changed to that number?

It's good because most mobile phones and linelines charge 03 numbers the same as 01 and 02. Rather than at a premium rate.
 

island

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They were not under an obligation to change the number, but did so in the interest of customer friendliness.

(Businesses outside certain sectors such as financial services are obliged, if they offer a phone number to discuss contracts that consumers have concluded with the business, to offer at least one such number chargeable at no more than the basic rate. Customers do not contract with National Rail Enquiries so it is not in scope of the requirement.)
 

Harpers Tate

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The ancient history of 0345s isn't really material.

A couple of years ago in a first attempt at greater transparency, a new 03.... dialling prefix was introduced. Such numbers are not geographical but they MUST be charged at the same rates and 01... and 02.. (regular geographical landlines). This was done so that companies could offer a non-geo number at standard call rates.

More recently - in the last couple of months or so, the government has changed the way that 0845 and 0870 numbers are charged with a defined split of revenue earned between the telephone company and the number's "owner". The consequence of this is that whereas many providers used to offer calls to 0845s "free" (or included in minutes) they now without exception charge for them.

Thus an 0845 call would be chargeable whereas an 0345 number may well not be - or at least will cost no more than calling any regular landline.
 

westv

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0845 numbers are included in the call plan I have with Kingston Communications.
 

causton

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They were not under an obligation to change the number, but did so in the interest of customer friendliness.

(Businesses outside certain sectors such as financial services are obliged, if they offer a phone number to discuss contracts that consumers have concluded with the business, to offer at least one such number chargeable at no more than the basic rate. Customers do not contract with National Rail Enquiries so it is not in scope of the requirement.)

That was the one, yes :) as you do not actually buy a ticket from National Rail Enquiries, they do not run any trains or stations, etc etc, they did claim they did not have to change the number and IIRC were not going to for a while, but changed their mind. I read the article about it some time ago though so don't remember the exact reason they decided to do it in the end!
 

Sacro

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0845 numbers are included in the call plan I have with Kingston Communications.

Yes, but you always had the problem with people advertising costs as 'the same as a local call' which were always charged by the minute and never 5.5p+VAT.

Hence why that is no longer allowed.
 

CyrusWuff

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That was the one, yes :) as you do not actually buy a ticket from National Rail Enquiries, they do not run any trains or stations, etc etc, they did claim they did not have to change the number and IIRC were not going to for a while, but changed their mind. I read the article about it some time ago though so don't remember the exact reason they decided to do it in the end!

The Rail Delivery Group put out a Press Release about it back in May, which you can find here. An extract follows:

Rail Delivery Group said:
Jason Webb, Acting Chief Executive of National Rail Enquiries, said:

"We didn't want people to have to pay significantly more to call us. Due to the increase in mobile calls to National Rail Enquiries, moving to a local rate 0345 number was the best and most practical option for our millions of customers. The 'phone is just one of several ways to get in touch with us, and apps are proving very popular."
 

Rail Ranger

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Wuff,

Thanks for the link to the Rail Delivery Group press release. Interesting that the 03 number actually came in on 17th May. I only found out about it on a Northern Rail poster a couple of days ago. Clearly the rail industry could have done more to advertise this change.
 

Ediswan

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0845 numbers are included in the call plan I have with Kingston Communications.

They have long been "a bit different". Kingston upon Hull was the only UK municipal telephone company which was never absorbed by the Post Office.
 

AM9

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They have long been "a bit different". Kingston upon Hull was the only UK municipal telephone company which was never absorbed by the Post Office.

0845 and 0870 calls are included in my BT bundle.
 
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