Northern Staff Travel

[gray1404]

Now that Northern is being operated by the OLR (rather than former Arriva) which other TOCs do Northern staff get free travel on now simply by showing their staff ID card?

 

[Watershed]

No general arrangement for free travel on any other TOC. There may be some residential - i.e. commuting - validity on TPE but this depends on what the staff pass in question says(!), and I suspect any pass carrying such an endorsement will long since have expired.

Rather the downgrade compared to the extensive validity when it was under Arriva ownership, but exactly the same happened at ATW/TfW when they were taken 'in house' (so to speak).

Of course, in practice, very few rail staff are going to challenge other staff in uniform to show their docket to prove that they're booked to travel pass, and even if non-uniformed, if you show your staff pass...

 

[gray1404]

So just to clarify it's free travel on Northern only or is there still a list of free TOCs free travel is permitted on for Northern staff? Thanks

 

[Haywain]

So just to clarify it's free travel on Northern only

That is what @Watershed said.

 

[Intermodal]

So just to clarify it's free travel on Northern only or is there still a list of free TOCs free travel is permitted on for Northern staff? Thanks

Grand Central and Merseyrail are the only other ones to my knowledge.

 

[scrapy]

Grand Central and Merseyrail are the only other ones to my knowledge.

Think they have Tyne and Wear metro as well (I know it's not a TOC). There were ongoing discussions in March about a reciprocal agreement for East Coast but this won't be sanctioned until East Coast end their reservation only policy, and would obviously depend on future franchising or concession deals.

 

[Haywain]

Think they have Tyne and Wear metro as well (I know it's not a TOC). There were ongoing discussions about a reciprocal agreement for East Coast but this won't be sanctioned until East Coast end their reservation only policy.

Could be a very long wait then, although I have no idea why that should be a blocker.

 

[J-P_L]

No general arrangement for free travel on any other TOC. There may be some residential - i.e. commuting - validity on TPE but this depends on what the staff pass in question says(!), and I suspect any pass carrying such an endorsement will long since have expired.

There are reciprocal residential travel arrangements with TPE (pass issues for a specified route)

 

[Intermodal]

Think they have Tyne and Wear metro as well (I know it's not a TOC). There were ongoing discussions in March about a reciprocal agreement for East Coast but this won't be sanctioned until East Coast end their reservation only policy, and would obviously depend on future franchising or concession deals.

Yes you're right regarding the Metro. Forgot about that one.

 

[gray1404]

Thanks guys. So right now it's free travel on Northern, Merseyrail, Tyne and Wear Metro and Grand Central with talk of LNER being added at a later date after COVID-19.

The free travel on TPE is only on certain routes? This seems more unclear.

 

[Intermodal]

The free travel on TPE is only on certain routes? This seems more unclear.

TPE passes are issued on an "as required" basis. They are not generally available to staff. If your particular situation requires you to travel on TPE as part of your duties and this wouldn't typically be covered by a Duty Authority to Travel card then you will get issued with a pass.

Certainly there is no entitlement to general leisure travel on TPE. Of course we all know that you would be rarely denied such a privilege, though.

 

[scrapy]

TPE passes are issued on an "as required" basis. They are not generally available to staff. If your particular situation requires you to travel on TPE as part of your duties and this wouldn't typically be covered by a Duty Authority to Travel card then you will get issued with a pass.

Certainly there is no entitlement to general leisure travel on TPE. Of course we all know that you would be rarely denied such a privilege, though.

You certainly used to be able to get a pass for TPE for residential travel (not leisure travel, regardless of grade or whether you needed to travel as part of your duties). The pass was available on request from HR and stated the stations it was valid between. (Had to be between a station close to your permanent home and place of work.) I think this was part of employment T's and C's so is unlikely to have changed.

 

[Intermodal]

You certainly used to be able to get a pass for TPE for residential travel (not leisure travel, regardless of grade or whether you needed to travel as part of your duties). The pass was available on request from HR and stated the stations it was valid between. (Had to be between a station close to your permanent home and place of work.) I think this was part of employment T's and C's so is unlikely to have changed.

Sorry, I think we are saying the same thing. When I said "as part of your duties and not covered by a DAT" I was referring to the type of situation you reference - TPE used to get to work where Northern services aren't available or convenient.

 

[J-P_L]

The free travel on TPE is only on certain routes? This seems more unclear.

As stated above travel on TPE is for residential (commuting to work) travel only and not leisure. If you require residential travel (via TPE), HR would issue you a residential travel pass which covers you between your “Home” station and place of work.

It is a reciprocal agreement, TPE issue residential travel passes for Northern as well and the wording is along the lines of:

Valid for Residential Travel only on Northern Trains Limited between <Home Station> and <Work Location>.