Changes in Covid travel patterns to result in peak time changes?

[43068]

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46590.aspx

1.1 Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak fares are cheaper tickets for travelling on trains that are less busy. You may be required to travel at specific times of day, days of the week or on a specific route.

In order to adhere to the above principle, rail bosses at long distance train companies are considering altering peak times to match current travel patterns

Due to a collapse in long distance travel at the traditional peak times, many services operated by Avanti, CrossCountry, GWR and LNER are carrying fresh air at traditional peak times, while mid morning trains can be very busy.

In order to satisfy this change in demand, and additionally ensure fares are "simple", there are plans to impose a blanket ban on all Off Peak / Super Off Peak fares priced by these companies at the busiest time of day, which is between 0900 and 1100. Any journey commencing between these times will be charged at the full Anytime rate.

In another move to boost capacity, train companies such as Avanti will be creating an additional class of travel; an intermediate level will offer guaranteed social distant seating (but no complimentary items), while the cheapest fares will be much cheaper, but will only be available to holders of Vaccination Railcards, which are expected to be available later this Spring.

 

[londiscape]

April Fool? Well I bloody hope so, although given the nonsense going on over the last year one can never be too sure...

 

[duncanp]

Vaccination Railcards??

I can't help thinking this is a wind up connected to, er, today's date.

 

[yorksrob]

NRE seems to have fallen over anyway now (not surprising since it's become increasingly infested with obtrusive advertising).

That said, the concept of whacking up fares at a time when you're trying to attract back custom certainly ought to be an April fool if it isn't already.

 

[MikeWM]

Wasn't it the Virgin West Coast business model for many years to carry around fresh air at traditional peak times while being very busy off-peak? It certainly felt that way, and not just on April 1st.

 

[yorkie]

Wasn't it the Virgin West Coast business model for many years to carry around fresh air at traditional peak times while being very busy off-peak? It certainly felt that way, and not just on April 1st.

Absolutely, but the difference was that the small number of passengers they did have on those trains were paying a LOT of money for their tickets and there were enough of them to generate a lot of revenue.

 

[MikeWM]

Absolutely, but the difference was that the small number of passengers they did have on those trains were paying a LOT of money for their tickets and there were enough of them to generate a lot of revenue.

Yes, indeed. I noticed the other week that an Anytime return Cambridge -> Liverpool (via London) is now over £400! Crazy.

 

[david1212]

If true rather than an April fool IMO it will backfire. For many 11:00 will be too late so they will use the car instead.

Given back to 2019 most regular peak travellers would have been on a season ticket, a local area weekly / monthly ticket or similar bringing the fare per journey closer to the Off-peak / Saver fare and a fair proportion of others making a longer journey on a train specific advance more logical is making the Off-peak /Saver fare the maximum at least until the new trend is established and new flexible season tickets and/or multi-journey tickets are established right across the network.

As to the number of trains every train removed is a spare path for recovery, spare stock and a spare crew. I suspect most would prefer e.g. a 20 minute frequency that normally runs to timetable rather than a 15 minute one that often runs late even if within 5 minutes of the timetable and has cancellations leaving a 30 minute gap.

 

[yorksrob]

Well, the website linked appears to have reverted to a less controversial definition of "off-peak", so I can only assume the post was some sort of a blip.

 

[greyman42]

If true rather than an April fool IMO it will backfire. For many 11:00 will be too late so they will use the car instead.

While the government continue to bail out the TOCs, they will not care less. A bit like the late 70s and early 80s when the passenger was seen as an inconvenience.

 

[317 forever]

While the government continue to bail out the TOCs, they will not care less. A bit like the late 70s and early 80s when the passenger was seen as an inconvenience.

Passengers are an inconvenience. The numbers of passengers getting on or off trains effectively contribute to trains running late.

 

[Kite159]

Don't give them any ideas!

 

[squizzler]

Passengers are an inconvenience. The numbers of passengers getting on or off trains effectively contribute to trains running late.

That brings to mind one of the railway robber barons of the 19th century who was quoted as saying: "passenger services are like the male teat - neither functional or ornamental". Whilst the image unfortunately stuck I cannot remember who to attribute. Bonus points for naming him!

 

[greyman42]

That brings to mind one of the railway robber barons of the 19th century who was quoted as saying: "passenger services are like the male teat - neither functional or ornamental". Whilst the image unfortunately stuck I cannot remember who to attribute. Bonus points for naming him!

James Hill.