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Nfm12

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RJ

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So, the new fares round is effective as of today. Has anyone noticed any significant changes other than minor price increments?

A few incredibly useful season tickets that I've been using for the last few weeks have been removed by ATOC <(. Not best pleased as I made a special trip to a Southern TVM last night to buy one for use first thing this morning, only to find the season option was no longer there. That said, it didn't take long to find a suitable alternative :p
 
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hairyhandedfool

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Some Off-Peak (not Off-Peak Day) fares set by TPE have changed from 'Not valid on trains arriving in [station] before 0930' to 'Valid after 0829'.
 

87015

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Abellio have gone to a three-tier fare system within the NSE area, 12-15% increases in CDR fares (but evening restriction lifted) and hugely restricted super off-peaks introduced nearer current CDR prices.

Or along those lines, I didn't study it in full detail...
 

bnm

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Off Peak (SVR) and Super Off Peak Return (SSR) fares from stations in Devon and Cornwall to/from Reading or London Paddington have increased, on average, by 3.5% in this latest fares round. With the SVS and SSS rising by a similar percentage.

Perfectly allowable, despite the near the 6% increase in January, with the SSRs being the regulated fare, because FGW have manipulated the 'fares basket' to allow for such an increase.

Here's the answer from FGW when I queried these increases, particularly in reference to the regulated fares:

Hi ****** - Regulated fares are not limited to one increase per year - we may increase them as many times as the fares round structure allows (currently three times a year). Individual fares within a basket are permitted to rise above permitted regulated levels by a further 5%, provided that the basket as a whole does not exceed the stated level.

Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets to/from Devon and Cornwall are very popular, and as such many trains are very full. The pence-per-mile rate is low compared to our other HSS routes, yet demand outside the peak periods is higher. We consider that the new prices still represent good value for money and it should be noted that a great many Advance fares are also available on this route, which represent even better value for money.

I hope that explanation is clear and thank you for your patience with this.

I'm sure the good folk of Devon and Cornwall will be glad to know that their Super/Off Peak fares were representing good pence-per-mile value and will be happy that they've increase by nearly 10% since December 2011. :roll:

How FGW have manipulated the 'fares basket' I know not, that information isn't in the public domain due, no doubt, to commercial sensitivity. They have however introduced a new flow 'via Newbury' for many SVR/SSR fares from stations in Somerset (east of Castle Cary) and Wiltshire, priced cheaper than the 'Any Permitted'. Perhaps those flows explain the 'fares basket' manipulation....
 
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DaveNewcastle

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. . .
How FGW have manipulated the 'fares basket' I know not, that information isn't in the public domain due, no doubt, to commercial sensitivity. . .
Given that your reply has already referred to the adjustments and the fares basket in making the explanation to you, you may be inclined to reply with thanks and "I wonder if I could trouble you to illustrate the point you made in respect of the 'fares basket', please? Could you let me see the various adjustments that FGW has made in this round so that I can grasp the way in which they achieve the average rise you mention?".
 

All Line Rover

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I note that FGW's regulated Super-Off-Peak fares have almost identical restrictions to VT's regulated Off-Peak fares.

Aren't FGW just offering passengers more flexibility by introducing an "intermediate" ticket type? I don't see the issue here, as the regulated fares (which have the same restrictions as those on other intercity TOC's) are not increasing above the levels allowed.
 

bnm

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I note that FGW's regulated Super-Off-Peak fares have almost identical restrictions to VT's regulated Off-Peak fares.

Aren't FGW just offering passengers more flexibility by introducing an "intermediate" ticket type? I don't see the issue here, as the regulated fares (which have the same restrictions as those on other intercity TOC's) are not increasing above the levels allowed.

FGW haven't introduced an intermediate ticket. The regulated Super Off Peaks have been around now for three years. What they've done is increased those regulated fares to/from Devon and Cornwall twice in five months for a cumulative raise of 10%. They either had wriggle room in the 'fares basket' to do this or have manipulated it by introducing a new flow elsewhere.
 

All Line Rover

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FGW haven't introduced an intermediate ticket. The regulated Super Off Peaks have been around now for three years. What they've done is increased those regulated fares to/from Devon and Cornwall twice in five months for a cumulative raise of 10%. They either had wriggle room in the 'fares basket' to do this or have manipulated it by introducing a new flow elsewhere.

This "problem" affects many TOCs, though. They all try to bend the rules to suit their interests.
 

bnm

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Given that your reply has already referred to the adjustments and the fares basket in making the explanation to you, you may be inclined to reply with thanks and "I wonder if I could trouble you to illustrate the point you made in respect of the 'fares basket', please? Could you let me see the various adjustments that FGW has made in this round so that I can grasp the way in which they achieve the average rise you mention?".

Done!
 

Solent&Wessex

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Some Off-Peak (not Off-Peak Day) fares set by TPE have changed from 'Not valid on trains arriving in [station] before 0930' to 'Valid after 0829'.

Or to some other time, there are quite a few:

I1 - Not valid before 0930
I2 - 0915
I3 - 0900
I4 - 0845
I5 - 0830
I6 - 0815
I7 - 0800
I8 - 0745

I'm led to believe that this is mainly to try and get journey planners to work which often got confused and couldn't work out the "Not valid on trains which arrive at X before yy.yy". It might also have the advantage of stopping Merseyrail ticket offices selling SVRs to Manchester throughout the morning peak.
 

hairyhandedfool

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In some cases local Northern services weren't going to the station named in the restriction, meaning they were effectively unrestricted on those services. Manchester-Huddersfield ("not valid on trains scheduled to arrive in Leeds before 0930") being an example.
 

Oscar

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I always took that to mean that if the train were continuing to Leeds, you could not use it if it were due to arrive before 09:30.
 

Paul Kelly

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The 06:55, 07:40 and 08:27 Northern services from Manchester Victoria to Huddersfield via Ashton-under-Lyne would have been valid on an off-peak return under the old restriction code, because they terminate in Huddersfield and don't go to Leeds, but they aren't valid any more because they depart before 08:30. A bit unfortunate or a bit sneaky, depending on how cynical you are.
 

calc7

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The 06:55, 07:40 and 08:27 Northern services from Manchester Victoria to Huddersfield via Ashton-under-Lyne would have been valid on an off-peak return under the old restriction code, because they terminate in Huddersfield and don't go to Leeds, but they aren't valid any more because they depart before 08:30. A bit unfortunate or a bit sneaky, depending on how cynical you are.

But the new restrictions can be put to use on some flows by starting short on SVRs/CDRs that wouldn't have been possible before.
 
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