End of the line for return rail tickets

[infobleep]

The basic issue appears to be that GWR have made a decision not to offer Advances between Reading and Paddington, presumably to avoid filling trains for that 25 minute leg to the detriment of those making a longer journey.

Unfortunately, that has resulted in the collateral damage seen here, by preventing a through Advance being offered from the North Downs Line, though such a ticket would indisputably be valid on the Elizabeth Line all the way from Liverpool Street to Reading, as those services are non-reservable.

So they have taken a commercial decision that they don't want passengers boarding their trains Reading when going to London, even if they are making a longer journey. The fact one can't also get many tickets at Waterloo is collateral damage and why should they take them into account as it's not a line they run trains on?

 

[Benjwri]

So they have taken a commercial decision that they don't want passengers boarding their trains Reading when going to London, even if they are making a longer journey. The fact one can't also get many tickets at Waterloo is collateral damage and why should they take them into account as it's not a line they run trains on?

Its more that they physically can't allow people to change at Reading only if they've come from another service on an Advance because of how the fares system is set up.

As for why, it is a commercial decision, but I was told it is also partially because with the frequency of trains, all arriving on the same platform, it is very hard to distinguish which train they are actually booked on, so the advance system kind of falls apart. It's also too common for trains to be full at Reading, so people get rejected on boarding and then can't travel on their booked train. The whole set up at Reading just doesn't lend itself to advances towards London.

 

[infobleep]

Its more that they physically can't allow people to change at Reading only if they've come from another service on an Advance because of how the fares system is set up.

As for why, it is a commercial decision, but I was told it is also partially because with the frequency of trains, all arriving on the same platform, it is very hard to distinguish which train they are actually booked on, so the advance system kind of falls apart. It's also too common for trains to be full at Reading, so people get rejected on boarding and then can't travel on their booked train. The whole set up at Reading just doesn't lend itself to advances towards London.

Well here is the perfect reason of the problems with advanced tickets and the fact some passengers are pay more than others simply by where they live and limited access to advance tickets.

Still soon they might be able to buy single tickets that aren't advances at whatever price the DfT allows and not a return.

No simplification of the system will resolve this unless they allow more advanced to be sold.

Some people moan that only those in the know get cheaper prices. Well if this continues following the system redesign, it will still be the case

 

[Benjwri]

Well here is the perfect reason of the problems with advanced tickets and the fact some passengers are pay more than others simply by where they live and limited access to advance tickets.

Still soon they might be able to buy single tickets that aren't advances at whatever price the DfT allows and not a return.

No simplification of the system will resolve this unless they allow more advanced to be sold.

Some people moan that only those in the know get cheaper prices. Well if this continues following the system redesign, it will still be the case

Yep, by no means defending the advance system, just that's the reasoning someone from GWR told me. To be fair to them GWR doesn't control how advances work, so it is more of an issue at the government level.

 

[Class15]

Haven’t read everything on this thread, but I wouldn’t be at all happy with return tickets being binned

 

[778]

Wouldn't surprise me if the Network Railcard was abolished. It's well known the TOCs don't like it.

Have there been rumours that it is going to be abolished soon?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Have there been rumours that it is going to be abolished soon?

None that I've heard of, but contactless would be an opportunity.

 

[Sonic1234]

None that I've heard of, but contactless would be an opportunity.

The Network railcard, and the railcards which require multiple travellers, are already of little use in the London zones as they can't be added to Oyster. Either you have to buy a day travelcard (which may make sense, particularly if you are travelling between the outer zones and Zone 1) or use overpriced Anytime paper tickets. But the TOCs and TfL can still say technically they accept them.

 

[Hadders]

Have there been rumours that it is going to be abolished soon?

Not that I am aware of.

None that I've heard of, but contactless would be an opportunity.

How is contactless an opportunity?

Abolishing the Network Railcard would result in a 50% in leisure fares. Then consider the fact that there are no super off peak fares with contactless (see my previous observations about contactless at Brookmans Park) and you’re looking at some leisure fares doubling in price.

That will not go down well with MPs

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Almost starting to seem as if someone up high has realised that off peak / leisure travel is where the main business quite possibly now is (and not so much peak hours commuter traffic, as used to be the case pre-COVID).

 

[miklcct]

Abolishing the Network Railcard would result in a 50% in leisure fares. Then consider the fact that there are no super off peak fares with contactless (see my previous observations about contactless at Brookmans Park) and you’re looking at some leisure fares doubling in price.

That will not go down well with MPs

With Oyster processing going to the backend, I don't see how a super off-peak (i.e. weekend) fare can't be introduced in the contactless area.

 

[MikeWh]

Not that I am aware of.


How is contactless an opportunity?

Abolishing the Network Railcard would result in a 50% in leisure fares. Then consider the fact that there are no super off peak fares with contactless (see my previous observations about contactless at Brookmans Park) and you’re looking at some leisure fares doubling in price.

That will not go down well with MPs

To say nothing of the fact that contactless won't cover the same area as the Network Railcard.