Free travel taken away by Rail Delivery Group. Be very careful with your Staff Travel Cards.

[DorkingMain]

Staff travel facilities are a privilege the vast majority of people don't have.

Misuse is often considered (at the very least) a disciplinary matter. It's not worth potentially losing a very good job over tickets that won't ever cost more than £20-40.

 

[Gloster]

It was 4 passes after 6 months and Continental concessions after a year. I joined on 25th June (by coincidence) so on Christmas day became eligible to apply for 4 passes to be used within the first 3 months of the next year, and the next summer I had free/cheap travel in Ireland in time for my A/L. On second thoughts, maybe my BR privs (after a month?) saved us money round Ireland immediately as I had a holiday pre-booked and we were able to do a tour of the Continent on free passes in my second summer.

I joined in July 1978 and my recollection is that you could get International passes after one year (or possibly two years) for Ireland (CIE), Northern Ireland (NIR) and Hungary (MAV). For all the other countries and railways you had to wait (I think) four years. I do remember that there was a good reason for my many trips to Ireland in the 1980-1982 period.

 

[Windandsea]

Staff travel facilities are a privilege the vast majority of people don't have.

Misuse is often considered (at the very least) a disciplinary matter. It's not worth potentially losing a very good job over tickets that won't ever cost more than £20-40.

But why is a guard over writing a date after demanding the pass to do so and one genuine error on one digit worth losing probably 25 years of free travel? Why no warning, just a life time ban? Even murderers get a second chance 9 times out of 10 but my wife doesn't? They let child rapists out, but no second chance for her? It should be 3 strikes and you're out. You get less punishment for passing a signal at danger FFS! Nowhere did i ever see anything saying the slightest mistake or deliberate date change and you lose your free travel for life. Anything that severe should have a very clear warning.
As you can tell we are livid and my MP said to me that he was amazed that it was 1 strike and you're out for such a petty crime. He was annoyed at them.
My wife had to pay £212 return for our last long distance UK holiday and the half price French travel being gone means we spend a fortune on trains here in France too.

The only good thing to come out of it was that when deciding where to spend most of our remaining years, no free travel in the UK was one of several factors which persuaded us to live most of the year in an idyllic part of south-west France and return to UK for the 2-3 warmest months only.
No traffic, the rush hour around here is 7 cars instead of 2. Free parking mostly. Wildlife everywhere and crystal clear streams and rivers abound. Zero industry so no pollution (but no jobs hence the great prices). Empty roads for the motorcycle rides we both enjoy. £50,000 for a 3 bedroom house (2016) with 2 acres of land. Almost no crime, the last reported incident in our area was a stolen car 3 years ago. The incredible Pyrenees are a 2 hour bike ride away, as is a beautiful coastline. 300 days a year with sunshine adds the final topping. Almost permanent (UK) rain and /or cold most of the year can go screw now. We enjoy our time back home of course and it's great catching up with mates, but the sour taste will probably remain regarding this.
I coach tennis a few hours a week and my wife runs a Yoga class twice weekly so we keep fit as the years are charging by! Where DOES time go, guys and gals?

RAILWAY STAFF SHOULD have each others' backs and i will always say that and nobody will ever convince me differently. Railway workers who drop their colleagues in it are the lowest of the low. FACT.

I'm leaving the subject here, i will close by saying be very careful. RDG value you about as much as i do last weekend's chicken leftovers and there are colleagues around you happy to drop you in it. Disgusting.

 

[221129]

And that attitude is why a lot of staff don't like retirees and dependants. And is also probably the reason you got reported.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

The only good thing to come out of it was that when deciding where to spend most of our remaining years, no free travel in the UK was one of several factors which persuaded us to live most of the year in an idyllic part of south-west France and return to UK for the 2-3 warmest months only.
No traffic, the rush hour around here is 7 cars instead of 2. Free parking mostly. Wildlife everywhere and crystal clear streams and rivers abound. Zero industry so no pollution (but no jobs hence the great prices). Empty roads for the motorcycle rides we both enjoy. £50,000 for a 3 bedroom house (2016) with 2 acres of land

I appreciate that the OP doesn't intend to comment further, but it would be great if they would say quite when their wife ran into this problem. If it was before buying the French place in 2016, then that means we can't really use this to say anything about how Priv travel is being handled today in 2021.

 

[philthetube]

Three strikes and out would say to some, "We can risk it twice "Perhaps it should be acceptable for police to drink drive as their colleagues should look after them, there really isn't any difference.

 

[father_jack]

(Snipped)
I met him almost a year later on York platform. I ''exchanged views'' with him.......

If you did that to me or any of my colleagues I wouldn't care less if you thought you were as entitled as Brunel's aunt fanny but you'd see the inside of the BTP office and end up with no privs yourself.

And that attitude is why a lot of staff don't like retirees and dependants. And is also probably the reason you got reported.

Hear hear.

 

[SteveM70]

But why is a guard over writing a date after demanding the pass to do so and one genuine error on one digit worth losing probably 25 years of free travel? Why no warning, just a life time ban?

Presumably the letter that accompanies each year’s free passes contains a warning, so you’ve had at least 25??

 

[AlterEgo]

But why is a guard over writing a date after demanding the pass to do so and one genuine error on one digit worth losing probably 25 years of free travel? Why no warning, just a life time ban? Even murderers get a second chance 9 times out of 10 but my wife doesn't? They let child rapists out, but no second chance for her? It should be 3 strikes and you're out. You get less punishment for passing a signal at danger FFS! Nowhere did i ever see anything saying the slightest mistake or deliberate date change and you lose your free travel for life. Anything that severe should have a very clear warning.
As you can tell we are livid and my MP said to me that he was amazed that it was 1 strike and you're out for such a petty crime. He was annoyed at them.
My wife had to pay £212 return for our last long distance UK holiday and the half price French travel being gone means we spend a fortune on trains here in France too.

The only good thing to come out of it was that when deciding where to spend most of our remaining years, no free travel in the UK was one of several factors which persuaded us to live most of the year in an idyllic part of south-west France and return to UK for the 2-3 warmest months only.
No traffic, the rush hour around here is 7 cars instead of 2. Free parking mostly. Wildlife everywhere and crystal clear streams and rivers abound. Zero industry so no pollution (but no jobs hence the great prices). Empty roads for the motorcycle rides we both enjoy. £50,000 for a 3 bedroom house (2016) with 2 acres of land. Almost no crime, the last reported incident in our area was a stolen car 3 years ago. The incredible Pyrenees are a 2 hour bike ride away, as is a beautiful coastline. 300 days a year with sunshine adds the final topping. Almost permanent (UK) rain and /or cold most of the year can go screw now. We enjoy our time back home of course and it's great catching up with mates, but the sour taste will probably remain regarding this.
I coach tennis a few hours a week and my wife runs a Yoga class twice weekly so we keep fit as the years are charging by! Where DOES time go, guys and gals?

RAILWAY STAFF SHOULD have each others' backs and i will always say that and nobody will ever convince me differently. Railway workers who drop their colleagues in it are the lowest of the low. FACT.

I'm leaving the subject here, i will close by saying be very careful. RDG value you about as much as i do last weekend's chicken leftovers and there are colleagues around you happy to drop you in it. Disgusting.

Lost all my sympathy. Enjoy your retirement safe in the knowledge people joining today won’t ever have the same problem, mostly because they won’t get free travel for life.

 

[DorkingMain]

Presumably the letter that accompanies each year’s free passes contains a warning, so you’ve had at least 25??

Also there were two dates overwritten, which is probably why the pass got pulled.

 

[185]

It's slightly curious to see how this attitude has persisted more than 30 years after some of the Metrolink lines were "handed over". I don't believe there is any official reciprocal arrangement either, unlike between Northern and the Tyne and Wear Metro for example.

I'd say it's less to do with anything inherited from the 90s when the line was moved from BR to Metrolink, and more to do with current staff, managers and directors from both Metrolink & TOCs freely moving between each employer - no reciprocal travel but a reasonable, very unofficial gentleman's' agreement.

 

[greyman42]

If you did that to me or any of my colleagues I wouldn't care less if you thought you were as entitled as Brunel's aunt fanny but you'd see the inside of the BTP office and end up with no privs yourself.

Why would he end up with no privs?

Also there were two dates overwritten, which is probably why the pass got pulled.

One of the dates was overwritten by the guard so you can hardly count that.

 

[221129]

Why would he end up with no privs?


One of the dates was overwritten by the guard so you can hardly count that.

It was only overwritten because it wasn't legible (not valid) in the first place. And I sense that the OP would have kicked off if the Guard crossed a box as he was supposed to.

 

[father_jack]

Why would he end up with no privs?

A man doesn't go to work to be verbally assualted by anyone and there's a clue in the title "privilege". Train operator Human Resources can take reports about retired staff back to RDG contrary to the invincibility some holders feel they have.

 

[306024]

Staff travel facilities are a privilege the vast majority of people don't have.

Misuse is often considered (at the very least) a disciplinary matter. It's not worth potentially losing a very good job over tickets that won't ever cost more than £20-40.

Absolutely. On my first day on the railway (many years ago now) it was made abundantly clear there were two things that would result in instant dismissal, hitting someone, and abuse of privilege travel. If anyone has kept their travel facilities, let alone employment, after being found guilty of any travel abuse they are incredibly lucky. If everyone went around ‘changing just one digit’ there would soon be no such scheme for anyone.

 

[Mag_seven]

There used to be a requirement (certainly in BR days) for the boxes to be returned at the end of each year. BR had a forensic science team who could analyse boxes for any signs of alteration.

 

[greyman42]

A man doesn't go to work to be verbally assualted by anyone and there's a clue in the title "privilege". Train operator Human Resources can take reports about retired staff back to RDG contrary to the invincibility some holders feel they have.

OK. I believed that you would only loose your travel privileges for travel irregularities.

 

[DorkingMain]

Why would he end up with no privs?


One of the dates was overwritten by the guard so you can hardly count that.

How is anyone reading the pass supposed to verify that the guard did it?

Never mind the fact it seemed the guard did them a big favour versus just crossing the box out, only to go and get a load of abuse from OP, who seems frankly like a less than charming individual based on this thread.

Absolutely. On my first day on the railway (many years ago now) it was made abundantly clear there were two things that would result in instant dismissal, hitting someone, and abuse of privilege travel. If anyone has kept their travel facilities, let alone employment, after being found guilty of any travel abuse they are incredibly lucky. If everyone went around ‘changing just one digit’ there would soon be no such scheme for anyone.

I pretty much got told the same. "Don't be late, don't go off sick constantly, don't lie to anyone, and you'll be here forever"

 

[221129]

OK. I believed that you would only loose your travel privileges for travel irregularities.

Absolutely not the case.

 

[Darandio]

Rant Snipped

My dad worked on the railway for 42 years and stopped using his boxes after my mum died around 5 years ago. In the later years of using them he often commented how attitudes towards him as a retiree had changed and it just didn't seem as welcoming any more when he had to show his pass, it was often a 'oh, another one of you' moment.

Now I can see why staff might take this attitude, it's because of people like you.

 

[Mag_seven]

My dad worked on the railway for 42 years and stopped using his boxes after my mum died around 5 years ago. In the later years of using them he often commented how attitudes towards him as a retiree had changed and it just didn't seem as welcoming any more when he had to show his pass, it was often a 'oh, another one of you' moment.

Now I can see why staff might take this attitude, it's because of people like you.

Yes looks like its a case of the actions of a minority spoiling it for the majority.

 

[bramling]

My dad worked on the railway for 42 years and stopped using his boxes after my mum died around 5 years ago. In the later years of using them he often commented how attitudes towards him as a retiree had changed and it just didn't seem as welcoming any more when he had to show his pass, it was often a 'oh, another one of you' moment.

Now I can see why staff might take this attitude, it's because of people like you.

The trouble is, attitudes have changed.

I can go for a day out using a correctly dated box, and the attitude can vary from being made absolutely as welcome as possible, to a surly grunt or even a slightly off-ish comment.

No doubt this is mainly a reflection of the fact that not all current staff receive such generous travel facilities.

There’s also plenty of staff who simply aren’t interested in travel benefits - the types who rarely if ever see or use a train except in the course of their work. Evidently there’s enough such staff that it’s never been an issue which has gained sufficient traction for unions to raise as something to resolve. In essence, many staff would prefer a pay rise over more travel facilities. In BR days stuff like staff travel was essentially an affordable way of placating people in lieu of today’s generous pay.

It’s nice for people to get made welcome when using travel facilities, and there’s still plenty of staff prepared to do it (especially in the former Regional Railways area), however it isn’t what it was, and it’s probably a little unreasonable to expect it to be.

 

[306024]

The trouble is, attitudes have changed........

Must admit I haven’t really noticed that. You occasionally get someone who just looks and walks away without comment but I always say hello when getting my staff pass checked. Some of the GA conductors on my usual route are the friendliest I’ve met.

 

[6Gman]

There used to be a requirement (certainly in BR days) for the boxes to be returned at the end of each year. BR had a forensic science team who could analyse boxes for any signs of alteration.

I seem to recall that was the case, though I think it stopped a long time ago.

Some time later, my wife started to put a date in and realised she had got it wrong and in clear ink made it bold and the right date, just 1 digit was slightly changed.

And that was where she got it wrong. The rules are clear. Make a mistake? Cross it through; use the next box.

 

[bramling]

Must admit I haven’t really noticed that. You occasionally get someone who just looks and walks away without comment but I always say hello when getting my staff pass checked. Some of the GA conductors on my usual route are the friendliest I’ve met.

I’d say there’s definitely a little bit more disapproval now than a decade or so ago.

Scotland and Wales seem to be the most polarised. I’ve found it’s either a case of very very welcoming, or positively off-hand, with nothing in between. The latter very much the minority though.

LNER can be off too, and West Coast London crews seem indifferent. I’ve been told a few times by northern crews that “you don’t need to bother if you’re up this end, but we’d always sell you a ticket if going south of Preston”. I’ve witnessed that happen over weekend first too - “going to Euston? Oh, if you were going to Preston I wouldn’t bother, but as you’re going to Euston it’s probably best I do you one”.

 

[DorkingMain]

Main issues I get these days are from agency staff, particularly agency gateline / revenue. Had a few run-ins with them, including one incident in the Leeds area where I used a split ticket and showed them both halves, which they nodded at until they noticed I had a PRIV entitlement and it became a problem.

Only when I got a pen and paper out, and asked them for some identification that proved they were an agent of the railway and entitled to take my details, did they back off and decide it wasn't worth it.

 

[Haywain]

I don’t honestly get why some people commenting here seem to think they should be greeted like a long lost friend just because you’re using staff travel facilities. It doesn’t even show that you’re current staff. You are just another passenger with a slightly different ticket.

 

[bramling]

I don’t honestly get why some people commenting here seem to think they should be greeted like a long lost friend just because you’re using staff travel facilities. It doesn’t even show that you’re current staff. You are just another passenger with a slightly different ticket.

I don’t expect it, but it’s a nice thing when it happens.

 

[Watershed]

I don’t honestly get why some people commenting here seem to think they should be greeted like a long lost friend just because you’re using staff travel facilities. It doesn’t even show that you’re current staff. You are just another passenger with a slightly different ticket.

I agree that expecting such a greeting is unrealistic. However, those travelling on staff travel facilities are sometimes regarded as someone that can be relied upon to help in the event of trouble. So they're not just another passenger.

 

[306024]

I don’t honestly get why some people commenting here seem to think they should be greeted like a long lost friend just because you’re using staff travel facilities. It doesn’t even show that you’re current staff. You are just another passenger with a slightly different ticket.

Guess that just proves what @bramling says, that attitudes have changed, is true then.