First Great Western Employee Benefits

[Paul1985]

First of all, sorry if I have posted this thread in the wrong place, I don't know how to work this forum yet.

Secondly, my question. What's the deal with the staff benefits for First Great Western Employees? I get that we can travel on FGW trains for free but what about South West Trains if FGW also operate from the same station?
I need to travel to work from Fleet but only SWT go from Fleet Station and I was told I have to pay. Currently to get free travel to the Old Oak Common depot I am driving to Reading to get on a FGW train but that means i'm going backwards to go forwards.
Does anyone know the real deal on employee free travel. I'd appreciate any help you can give.

Paul

 

[First class]

FGW get free travel on their own services and a limited amount of free travel on other First Group companies, for leisure purposes only.

75% off the highest priced Anytime fares is also available with your ATOC Staff Travel Card, so that would get you on South West Trains, but you need a discounted ticket.

Also 50% or 75% off European fares, again the highest priced ones, after 1 year service. 8 days worth of free travel in most European countries is additional to that.

All the above is for leisure purposes only.

Quarter rate seasons (non travelcard) are also available for commuting to and from your place of work, if not travelling using your own TOC.

 

[185]

I'm under the impression their is no reciprocal travel arrangements between the two companies, and if travelling in uniform to work on SWT, it's at each guards disgression. I would speak to some of their RPIs for advice to see if any local arrangements apply.

Proud to say though in ten years as a guard, I never charged any staff enroute to work, including a managing director from another company who managed to forget her pass. After all, what's the point? When you've got a 6ft lunatic chasing you down the carriage, every extra pair of hands counts

 

[schwa]

Also get weekly tickets (that cost £5.00) for unlimited travel on any FirstGroup bus service.

There is also stuff like discounts at quite a number of highstreet stores.. for example you can get 10% off gift vouchers for Currys, or along those lines. All that is done through a website.

 

[Firestarter]

Can't OP apply for a Residential Pass???

 

[Simon11]

I work for FCC and we get free travel on other TOC's we have agreements with like East Coast, East Midlands, Southern, TFL ect.

I have no idea about FGW though.

 

[185]

TOC NE can only get a residential pass with their own company, unless theres a TUPE condition (such as TPE staff living in for example Wigan, on Northern, who previously had travel with FNW).

The residential season ticket (priv), an ATOC all-operator ticket, is usually something like £12 per year for many staff but it is disgusting that only some staff are eligible.

 

[Redahead]

I'm under the impression their is no reciprocal travel arrangements between the two companies, and if travelling in uniform to work on SWT, it's at each guards disgression. I would speak to some of their RPIs for advice to see if any local arrangements apply.

Proud to say though in ten years as a guard, I never charged any staff enroute to work, including a managing director from another company who managed to forget her pass. After all, what's the point? When you've got a 6ft lunatic chasing you down the carriage, every extra pair of hands counts

Crikey! One rule for us, one rule for them.... No wonder some people get het up about staff travel, when people are so willing to try it on - with no little success, it seems! I'd expect to be stuck on if I didn't have the correct PRIV ticket for my journey to work, the same as I would expect of any other non fare paying passenger.

Anyway, in response to the original question, I believe that a TOCNE Residential Season ticket is available on any TOC for PRIV card holders, irrespective of for whom you work, for residential travel at a quarter rate (e.g. on SWT for me although I work for a different TOC). You need to download the appropriate form off the ATOC website and send it off to them, to be returned to you and then used at your local station as the authority to buy the PRIV season ticket.

Regards,

R