GWR Pre rush hour fares increase

[the-man]

Has anyone noticed on gwr that the ..before 6am fares... are now the same price as rush hour ?....before covid9 the 5.25 to Paddington was about 35 pound ..that service no longer runs. The first train is now 5.55 (before 6am rush hour) but now is rush hour price. Think we are being ripped off ?

 

[Adam0984]

Looking at what you've put id say that the restriction isn't departure time but is arrival time into London and been 30 mins later pushes you into the peak time fares

 

[py_megapixel]

I assume what you mean by "before rush hour" is the off-peak ticket price and "rush hour" is an anytime (i.e. valid in the peak) ticket. In which case, where are you getting the information that the cut-off for an off-peak ticket is 6am?

Are you sure it is actually based on departure time from wherever you are travelling from? Some intercity operators base their peak/offpeak times on when the train arrives/departs London, not when it leaves the passenger's origin station.

I am guessing you are departing from Swindon by the information displayed under your username in which case the journey time to London will be about an hour. Possibly the restriction is that trains arriving at London before 6:30am are off peak? The 5:25 service (which you say has been withdrawn) would arrive into Paddington at 6:25 - before 6:30 - while the 5:55 would arrive at 6:55 - after 6:30.

Whether you consider that you are being ripped off is completely up to you, but i don't believe you are technically being charged the wrong price for your journey.

 

[JonathanH]

There has long been an easement on the first up train to Paddington from Bristol, linked to when it used to come from Fishguard.

If it doesn't run, that fare easement isn't available as the remaining trains are deemed to be in the peak.

BRFares describes it as:

Not valid for travel on trains timed to depart earlier than shown from the following stations:

09:10 from Swindon (also valid between 02:00 and 05:45);

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=SWI&dest=PAD&grpd=1072&tkt=SVR

 

[jfollows]

Off-peak restriction code LC validity from Swindon: (http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=SWI&dest=PAD&expert=on&flow=3&multi=0&fare=13&tkt=SVS)

Not valid for travel on trains timed to depart earlier than shown from the following stations:

.......

• 09:10 from Swindon (also valid between 02:00 and 05:45);

so in this case it looks like departure time determines the fare.

 

[Bedpan]

Not being ripped off as such but it is always a bit of a pain when you are forced to pay more due to a train service being cut. It has always happened though: back in the 70s I used travel from Southampton to Esher, but then they withdrew Sunday services at Esher so I had to go to Surbiton instead which meant a more expensive ticket despite the fact that I either had an hour's walk as opposed to 10 minutes, or had the added expense of bus/taxi fares. The same thing happens from time to time in all walks of life though.

 

[Starmill]

I would suggest that you write to your MP and ask for them to get in touch with GWR requesting the easement to be extended until such time as they restore the first service of the day. This process will unfortunately take some time.

If your MP receives a negative response I would see if you can deploy your powers of persuasion to have them write to the Rail Minister or Secretary of State. They can then politely point out that, to use the words of @Bald Rick the railway is a public service - and they should, if you agree with that view, act in the public interest even where it's not in their narrow commercial interest.

The government and GWR may refuse to do so even then, of course. But you won't know if you don't try.

 

[Clarence Yard]

At the moment any easement has to be authorised by the DfT anyway - under the EMA's all the "franchise" TOCs have had nearly all their decision making powers stripped off them.