• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Peak restrictions (coronavirus)

Status
Not open for further replies.

raveon

Member
Joined
21 Nov 2007
Messages
74
Given the complete collapse in demand, will we see a relaxation / removal of peak restrictions across the network with the new reduced timetable?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Haywain

Veteran Member
Joined
3 Feb 2013
Messages
14,871
Given the complete collapse in demand, will we see a relaxation / removal of peak restrictions across the network with the new reduced timetable?
I very much doubt it. The government advice is to avoid all but essential travel. Relaxing peak restrictions would run the risk of encouraging non-essential travel.
 

WesternLancer

Established Member
Joined
12 Apr 2019
Messages
6,996

30907

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Sep 2012
Messages
17,866
Location
Airedale
I think this will be much more about bus use.
The Metro website doesn't specifically refer to buses, and passholders get half fare on offpeak trains. Be interesting to know (not that I will be using trains for now....:()
From 20 March until 17 April, West Yorkshire Combined Authority is introducing greater flexibility on concessionary travel passes so they can be used all day, helping older people and those with disabilities to access shops and supermarkets earlier in the day.
 

717001

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2018
Messages
221
Regarding rail there is an argument that all non-Anytime fares should actually be withdrawn, as the high cost of travel will dissuade it.
Can see your point but don't agree, as it would penalise key workers on later shifts by making them pay more than normal.
 
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
309
With restrictions on the use of concessionary bus passes lifted in many areas, should railcard restrictions be eased? Perhaps a standard after 9 am for all cards?
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,980
With restrictions on the use of concessionary bus passes lifted in many areas, should railcard restrictions be eased? Perhaps a standard after 9 am for all cards?

No because Railcards exist to promote leisure travel and anything that promotes leisure travel at the moment is a no-no.

The exception is the Disabled Persons Railcard which has no time restriction anyway.
 

paddington

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2013
Messages
964
This may be blue-sky thinking but I would like railcard validities to be extended by 3 months or more. My 26-30 railcard expires in April (shortly before I turn 32) and I had planned to get at least two 7-day rovers around now, which will now cost me over £50 more by the time it may be safe (or at least less risky) to go travelling again.
 

Bletchleyite

Veteran Member
Joined
20 Oct 2014
Messages
97,537
Location
"Marston Vale mafia"
This may be blue-sky thinking but I would like railcard validities to be extended by 3 months or more. My 26-30 railcard expires in April (shortly before I turn 32) and I had planned to get at least two 7-day rovers around now, which will now cost me over £50 more by the time it may be safe (or at least less risky) to go travelling again.

They've done that before (off the back of the "gauge corner cracking" issues) but it was worthless to people who maintained a Railcard at all times.
 

TUC

Established Member
Joined
11 Nov 2010
Messages
3,564
Regarding rail there is an argument that all non-Anytime fares should actually be withdrawn, as the high cost of travel will dissuade it.
So penalise those trying to get out to work or look after relatives?
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,980
They've done that before (off the back of the "gauge corner cracking" issues) but it was worthless to people who maintained a Railcard at all times.

Everyone did benefit iirc. For a whole year Railcards sold had 15 months validity.
 

Bletchleyite

Veteran Member
Joined
20 Oct 2014
Messages
97,537
Location
"Marston Vale mafia"
Everyone did benefit iirc. For a whole year Railcards sold had 15 months validity.

No, they didn't, because regardless of that if you want to hold a YP/16-25 Railcard for the maximum possible duration you had to purchase the same number of Railcards, which meant throwing away those three months on your last purchase, to purchase one day before your 25th birthday to keep it until you were 26 - 2 days. Indeed, some people lost out because they didn't realise you could throw away those months.

It would have been better to offer a 24 month Railcard (they were all 12 back then other than the HSBC/Midland Bank 3 year old) for say 1.5x the cost of annual, as that wouldn't have broken that cycle.
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,980
No, they didn't, because regardless of that if you want to hold a YP/16-25 Railcard for the maximum possible duration you had to purchase the same number of Railcards, which meant throwing away those three months on your last purchase, to purchase one day before your 25th birthday to keep it until you were 26 - 2 days. Indeed, some people lost out because they didn't realise you could throw away those months.

It would have been better to offer a 24 month Railcard (they were all 12 back then other than the HSBC/Midland Bank 3 year old) for say 1.5x the cost of annual, as that wouldn't have broken that cycle.

Ok I see what you're saying although that's specific to the 16-25 Railcard.

I had a Network Railcard at the time which expired at the end of December, when I renewed the new railcard was valid through till the end of March. March then became my new railcard renewal month going forwrds.
 

30907

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Sep 2012
Messages
17,866
Location
Airedale
Alongside that, you could argue that key workers should be allowed to travel entirely free on showing proof of their shift time and employer.
Except that they are at least getting paid in full (not a grips, I'm retired and also paid in full).
 

Hugo3000

Member
Joined
21 Jan 2020
Messages
47
Location
North
Frankly I'm getting fed up with the amount of selfish fools still making obviously non-essential journeys on the trains I'm working - drunks, people with bags of clothes shopping, kids etc. It'd be incredibly hard to police but I'd give key workers free passes for the duration, pensioners travel as normal and everyone else should have to prove why they need to travel when they buy their ticket.
 

Joe Paxton

Established Member
Joined
12 Jan 2017
Messages
2,451
Alongside that, you could argue that key workers should be allowed to travel entirely free on showing proof of their shift time and employer.

For key workers the situation is so fluid that any rotas are often quickly out of date.
 

FenMan

Established Member
Joined
13 Oct 2011
Messages
1,361
Frankly I'm getting fed up with the amount of selfish fools still making obviously non-essential journeys on the trains I'm working - drunks, people with bags of clothes shopping, kids etc. It'd be incredibly hard to police but I'd give key workers free passes for the duration, pensioners travel as normal and everyone else should have to prove why they need to travel when they buy their ticket.

Any drunk catching one of your trains won't have got drunk in a pub. I suggest this issue is now in the past?

What you may think is non-essential travel may well be essential from the perspective of at least some of those passengers e.g. separated families where dad has the kids every other weekend. Try telling a 7 year old they cannot see daddy after all.

Another issue is the low paid gig economy workers, many of whom are immigrants and who cannot work remotely, who will be terrified of losing their only source of income and have no safety net.

Also, many key workers do not work for the NHS, so may not look like they are key workers.

There will always be those who think the rules only apply to others, but most people are sensible.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top