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Improved deal for football fans

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OwlMan

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A collaboration between Government, police , football clubs & the rail industry seeks to improve match day travel for football fans.

A fairer and more flexible deal for football fans who are affected when matches are rapidly rescheduled is “within reach”, Rail Minister Andrew Jones announced today (14 February 2019).

The Department for Transport has reached an agreement with football authorities, British Transport Police (BTP) and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train companies and Network Rail, that will see the Premier League working with the industry to create a package of measures aimed at improving the railways for all users on match days.

It will focus on encouraging more people to travel by train to football games, and will also ensure that passengers should not have to pay more for their train tickets in the event a match is rescheduled for TV.

The Premier League is currently drawing up an agreement to underpin this commitment. When confirmed by train operators and football clubs, trials will be launched to understand how future schemes can deliver more flexibility over train tickets for fans, improve stewarding on trains and lead to closer interaction between clubs and the BTP, ensuring better support and security on matchdays...……...

for full paper see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/significant-progress-on-better-rail-deal-for-football-fans
 
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Howardh

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The broadcasters (Sky/BT) should foot the bill to compensate fans who can't use their advanced tickets. Bury/Lincoln was shifted to 5.15pm from 3pm at very short notice (less than two weeks if I recall correctly) so Lincoln managed to do something along those lines - however it didn't help long-distance Bury fans who may have had advance tickets.

So I am pleased it's being discussed at top level.
 

Mutant Lemming

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Football Specials?

Perfect for taking supporters to away games and keeping them from over crowding (or annoying people) on ordinary trains and clogging up the main terminii at a town. There needs to be the incentive of it being cheaper than ordinary services though or it will not work.
 

edwin_m

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Perfect for taking supporters to away games and keeping them from over crowding (or annoying people) on ordinary trains and clogging up the main terminii at a town. There needs to be the incentive of it being cheaper than ordinary services though or it will not work.

Easy enough in BR days when there was spare capacity on most routes and likely to be spare stock ouside the summer season. More difficult when the only stock available can't keep up with the service trains. That and general increases in traffic means a special probably ends up with a slow path so to be attractive either has to offer a bargain basement price or market itself as a premium dining experience. There may be an opportunity for specials to avoid a change of train when there is a suburban station close to the venue that wouldn't normally have long-distance services (Horwich Parkway, Coventry Arena) but for a lot of places they will still clog up the city's main station.
 

richa2002

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I'd say there definitely is spare stock in the form of stored Class 319s. IIRC, the LNWR ones sit around all weekend too. A couple of 12 car rakes and you'd be in business. Assuming the route is wired, I can't believe 100mph paths are that hard to thread in either. I'm sure footy fans would accept 30/60 mins longer journeys if it meant they definitely get a seat and like you say, it's even more attractive if the train can leave from what is an otherwise local station but convenient for the ground.

Surely the main restriction here is the fragmentation of the privatised railway with no common user that can call upon spare stock from a wide area with drivers who have good route knowledge.
 

DarloRich

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A collaboration between Government, police , football clubs & the rail industry seeks to improve match day travel for football fans.

I will believe it when i see it. You reckon sky will give up televising Manchester United v Arsenal at 16:00 on a Sunday because the WCML is shut. No niether do I................
 

jtuk

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Of course, there's no mention of the actual users in question being consulted
 

DeeGee

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it wasn't opened just before Derby moved anywhere. It was complete in 1990 and formally closed in 1997 when Derby moved. Of more importance was that it was barely used!

Apologies, the opening of the station came at about the same time as Derby were relegated from the top-flight, and their return to the top flight happened alongside their move to a new stadium.
 

ainsworth74

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Not sure what the problem is here. Flexible fares already exist...

They do but, to take one example, it seems unfair that Newcastle fans should have to pay £141 for a Super Off-Peak return to go to a fixture in London rather than maybe £50 for APs just because the match might be moved to suit the TV schedules.
 

Iskra

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They do but, to take one example, it seems unfair that Newcastle fans should have to pay £141 for a Super Off-Peak return to go to a fixture in London rather than maybe £50 for APs just because the match might be moved to suit the TV schedules.

That’s an issue with the pricing though isn’t it?

I thought XC allowed you to alter advances free of charge if you bought them with them?
 

ivanhoe

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Most fans know the score when it comes to travelling by train and quite a lot go by coach or by car. Not sure what can be agreed that has any substance. Fans usually get there and train is just one option . Clubs could if they wanted, try to do more , particularly Premiership clubs. They are handsomely paid vast sums by Sky/BT. Fact is if your club has a big away following like Liverpool and United, you are likely also to be on TV and 3pm kick offs on a Saturday are not the norm.
 

Chris999999

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So why should these flexible advance purchase tickets be limited to football supporters? They should be available to everyone.
 

Iskra

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So why should these flexible advance purchase tickets be limited to football supporters? They should be available to everyone.

Agreed. If the average person can’t afford to buy a flexible ticket, they are clearly overpriced.

If clubs wish to subsidise the travel of their supporters they have the option of running a charter train or more commonly providing official club coaches.
 

61653 HTAFC

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Another planet...
A couple of years ago, even Northern managed to run football specials for Sheffield Wednesday fans to get to Huddersfield without overwhelming the Penistone line services (they ran via Wakefield Kirkgate), so it is still doable. They didn't do the same for the reverse fixtures sadly, but you can't have everything I guess. The RMT dispute prevented me using the train to get to Burnley earlier this season sadly... if ever there was a game I wish had been moved to the Sunday!
 

Sankey Wire

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A couple of years ago, even Northern managed to run football specials for Sheffield Wednesday fans to get to Huddersfield without overwhelming the Penistone line services (they ran via Wakefield Kirkgate), so it is still doable.
Northern also ran specials from Widnes (and possibly elsewhere) to Blackpool for the Rugby League Northern Rail Cup Final, a while back.

Northern and TPE really should work together to organise specials for big RL matches, at times it can be near impossible to get away.
 

swt_passenger

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Surely the solution is for Network Rail to plan the fixtures, and the FA to hold a draw to decide where engineering work should take place?
 

Mutant Lemming

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Easy enough in BR days when there was spare capacity on most routes and likely to be spare stock ouside the summer season. More difficult when the only stock available can't keep up with the service trains. That and general increases in traffic means a special probably ends up with a slow path so to be attractive either has to offer a bargain basement price or market itself as a premium dining experience. There may be an opportunity for specials to avoid a change of train when there is a suburban station close to the venue that wouldn't normally have long-distance services (Horwich Parkway, Coventry Arena) but for a lot of places they will still clog up the city's main station.

They used to go to Bordesely, Witton, Parson Street, Wadsley Bridge and all manner of city centre avoiding places. Maybe a possible use for those redundant HST sets.
 

Modron

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Could be a decent idea, Ninian Park (Cardiff City FC) is well situated for Football Specials.

A lot has changed with regards to fans behaviour, since these services were first introduced, and thankfully there is a lot less violence and trouble at matches these days than in the 1980s-early 2000s.
 

broadgage

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It seems to me that if a football match is SCHEDULED to take place at an hour that requires an expensive ticket, then that is life and football fans do not deserve any special treatment as compared to other rail users whose leisure trips are expensive if taken during peak hours.

Where I have more sympathy is when a game is scheduled at a time that permits of discounted travel, and then subsequently changed, perhaps after fans have already booked rail tickets, or made other arrangements.

I would also ask, why are football matches so often re-scheduled at short notice ? I appreciate the football is a business and that the needs of the TV industry are paramount, but surely these needs are known in advance ?
It seems to me, that match times should be decided in advance, in consultation with the TV industry, and then NOT ALTERED except in truly extreme circumstances.
 

bramling

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A collaboration between Government, police , football clubs & the rail industry seeks to improve match day travel for football fans.

Absolutely wonderful. Why ever should this group be any different to anyone else who takes advantage of a cheap advance ticket and then finds their plans change and they can no longer meet the conditions of the ticket?

Simple solution buy a full-price unrestricted ticket in the first place, or how about hire a coach so other passengers get a peaceful journey and don’t have to listen to silly chanting?
 

Modron

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Surely the solution is for Network Rail to plan the fixtures, and the FA to hold a draw to decide where engineering work should take place?

The game will be played when the Dark Lord Rupert Murdoch says it shall be ;)
 
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