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[Hypothetical] Season ticket fare route no longer fit for purpose

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mikeg

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On the timetable consultations page I note that TPE are withdrawing calls at Northallerton for their Newcastle terminators, except for late at night. This raises a very valid point: What happens to all of the people who bought annual TPE only season tickets from Northallerton to Newcastle? Will travel be honoured some other way? Would they be due a refund? Would they have to pay extra for a changeover through no fault of their own? Or would they be stuck with a ticket that's valid only late at night?
 
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Watershed

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On the timetable consultations page I note that TPE are withdrawing calls at Northallerton for their Newcastle terminators, except for late at night. This raises a very valid point: What happens to all of the people who bought annual TPE only season tickets from Northallerton to Newcastle? Will travel be honoured some other way? Would they be due a refund? Would they have to pay extra for a changeover through no fault of their own? Or would they be stuck with a ticket that's valid only late at night?
I imagine it will be similar to what happened when First Class was withdrawn on Greater Anglia. Season ticket holders will be 'offered' the opportunity to do a changeover or get a refund (either of which they were always entitled to do!).

There is the possibility of an 'offer of goodwill' if you complained, but I wouldn't have high hopes.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Similarly, if we are talking about season ticket fare routes no longer fit for purpose, what's the point of a 7 day season between Pilning and Patchway, priced at £24.80?
 

swt_passenger

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Is it likely they’ll stop selling the aforementioned TPE season for periods beyond May 2022? Do booking office ticket selling systems allow an end date to be set for seasons, because they have about 11 months to deal with it…
 

The exile

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Similarly, if we are talking about season ticket fare routes no longer fit for purpose, what's the point of a 7 day season between Pilning and Patchway, priced at £24.80?
An interesting one! Return travel from Patchway (etc) to Pilning is via Severn Tunnel Junction - so travel to Severn Tunnel Junction must be permitted (at any time as its a season?). Presumably, however, it would only be valid back from Severn Tunnel Junction on those trains which actually stop at Pilning.
 

Deerfold

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Is it likely they’ll stop selling the aforementioned TPE season for periods beyond May 2022? Do booking office ticket selling systems allow an end date to be set for seasons, because they have about 11 months to deal with it…
If the changes come in in May 2022, shouldn't they have stopped selling Annual TPE seasons last month if that was the way they were going to deal with it?
 

swt_passenger

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If the changes come in in May 2022, shouldn't they have stopped selling Annual TPE seasons last month if that was the way they were going to deal with it?
Well, I was just assuming their ticket office staff wouldn’t have known in advance about the changes that were about to be published!
 

Deerfold

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Well, I was just assuming their ticket office staff wouldn’t have known in advance about the changes that were about to be published!
Indeed not, but they don't have 11 months to sort it out, they need to get on with it, if this is going to be a solution to the problem.
 

infobleep

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An interesting one! Return travel from Patchway (etc) to Pilning is via Severn Tunnel Junction - so travel to Severn Tunnel Junction must be permitted (at any time as its a season?). Presumably, however, it would only be valid back from Severn Tunnel Junction on those trains which actually stop at Pilning.
First Great Western, as they were then known, confirmed to me in around 2011/12 that you could pass through your starting station without stopping at it if you have a season ticket with multiple routes coming from it.

In this case, it was Shalford to London. One route was via Guildford and another via Redhill. A fast service from Guildford to Redhill usually didn't stop ad Shalford.

I don't know if the same would apply here.
 

kieron

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If the changes come in in May 2022, shouldn't they have stopped selling Annual TPE seasons last month if that was the way they were going to deal with it?
I'd have to say they shouldn't have. You can buy a "TPE only" season ticket now, and get a changeover or refund as and when the service level is reduced. This would cost less than buying an "any permitted" season ticket now, so it is a good thing that the option is available.

Train operators often make changes to the service which prevent their customers from using season tickets effectively. This is the standard method to deal with it, just as it's the standard method to deal with a situation where changes in the customer's circumstances mean they no longer use a season ticket in the same way.
 

Deerfold

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I'd have to say they shouldn't have. You can buy a "TPE only" season ticket now, and get a changeover or refund as and when the service level is reduced. This would cost less than buying an "any permitted" season ticket now, so it is a good thing that the option is available.

Train operators often make changes to the service which prevent their customers from using season tickets effectively. This is the standard method to deal with it, just as it's the standard method to deal with a situation where changes in the customer's circumstances mean they no longer use a season ticket in the same way.
I'm not arguing for this solution - just pointing that it's a bit late for it.
 
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