prediction - First West Coast

[34D]

Hello,

With Virgin West Coast passing to FirstGroup in December, would anyone care to suggest how long it will be before we have a thread on here about a passenger travelling on a Carlisle-Glasgow advance route First WC only who dares to travel on First Transpennine or First Scotrail and is charged for a fresh anytime single?

 

[lm321412]

Hello,

With Virgin West Coast passing to FirstGroup in December, would anyone care to suggest how long it will be before we have a thread on here about a passenger travelling on a Carlisle-Glasgow advance route First WC only who dares to travel on First Transpennine or First Scotrail and is charged for a fresh anytime single?

Well if they are called 'Horizon Trains' as predicted then this certainly shouldn't be any problem?

 

[185]

Yep, it will say route HT Only.

So, that err, will be valid err... via Doncaster only? :roll:

Ohnoes.

 

[Yew]

I thought they where going for intercity west coast, obviously this allows you to use any train going between cities on the west coast?

 

[LexyBoy]

It would be obvious to anyone who looks at the ticket what the intended validity is, namely in the toilet of any first class carriage.

 

[34D]

It would be obvious to anyone who looks at the ticket what the intended validity is, namely in the toilet of any first class carriage.

Like it!!

Horizon is an interesting name (or was that just the code for the project bid team)?

 

[Deerfold]

I'd be surprised if the name they choose to use doesn't have "First" in it somewhere.

 

[ainsworth74]

I thought they where going for intercity west coast

Intercity West Coast is the name of the franchise area not as far as I'm aware the name that First will be using for its operation. For example, East Coast currently run the Intercity East Coast franchise but they don't call themselves by that name (well they do, but they dropped the Intercity from the title but I'm sure you follow my point ) just as GNER and NXEC all ran the Intercity East Coast franchise as well but didn't call themselves that.

 

[tom1649]

It would be nice to have the InterCity name in use again but I doubt it'll ever happen.

 

[Anon Mouse]

If its an advance ticket it will only be valid on the booked train.....regardless if its same group, company or route
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It would be nice to have the InterCity name in use again but I doubt it'll ever happen.

complete with raspberry ripple livery and swallow?

 

[dvboy]

On FirstGroup's website it's currently called InterCity West Coast. Horizon is a silly name and isn't consistant with the rest of FirstGroup's rail operations, which all have First in the name somewhere. I think "First West Coast" will be the name, and "WC" the TOC code.

 

[island]

My prediction is they will try to bring in a penalty fares scheme.

 

[Robsignals]

First Greater Western Coastway?

 

[Paule23]

My prediction is they will try to bring in a penalty fares scheme.

Is there any problem with bringing in a penalty fare scheme? If you have the right ticket there is no problem with any such scheme. Surely penalty fare schemes are a good thing as they protect revenue, investment and shareholder returns?

 

[island]

Penalty fares schemes are intended for routes where the number of passengers and high frequency of stops makes it impossible to practically check all tickets on the train.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Penalty fares, and administrative penalties could earn First considerable income.
There are quite a number making connections & travelling short distances with the 'wrong' ticket!!

 

[scrapy]

Penalty fares schemes are intended for routes where the number of passengers and high frequency of stops makes it impossible to practically check all tickets on the train.

Like the Wolverhampton to Rugby, Warrington to Lancaster, Flint to Bangor and Wilmslow/Macclesfield - Stockport - Manchester sections of the West Coast route.

 

[headshot119]

Like the Wolverhampton to Rugby, Warrington to Lancaster, Flint to Bangor and Wilmslow/Macclesfield - Stockport - Manchester sections of the West Coast route.

My Bold : Funny ATW manage to check tickets on a 4 car set between those stations.

 

[Hazlehead]

My Bold : Funny ATW manage to check tickets on a 4 car set between those stations.

Yea on a 4 car set! Pendos 9/11 cars with stations less than ten mins on average between them. Glad to hear barriers going in as I see everyday people travelling to local stations without tickets. Catch them one day you can guarantee they be there next day with no ticket! And its everyone from your suited n booted business people to the young teenagers who seem have attitude that's its perfectly ok not to pay to use trains unless the guard catches you. Feel soo sorry for the honest people who pay a lot of their hard earned money weekly or monthly. And before someone says it the majority of guards do check tickets just we can't be in all 11 coaches at once in the short time between stations

 

[Butts]

Like the Wolverhampton to Rugby, Warrington to Lancaster, Flint to Bangor and Wilmslow/Macclesfield - Stockport - Manchester sections of the West Coast route.

Also Birmingham International to Sandwell & Dudley / Wolverhampton no barriers or ticket checks and you can buy on the train without penalty if challenged.

 

[headshot119]

Yea on a 4 car set! Pendos 9/11 cars with stations less than ten mins on average between them. Glad to hear barriers going in as I see everyday people travelling to local stations without tickets. Catch them one day you can guarantee they be there next day with no ticket! And its everyone from your suited n booted business people to the young teenagers who seem have attitude that's its perfectly ok not to pay to use trains unless the guard catches you. Feel soo sorry for the honest people who pay a lot of their hard earned money weekly or monthly. And before someone says it the majority of guards do check tickets just we can't be in all 11 coaches at once in the short time between stations

1 Pendolino a week on the North Wales Coast; Whether it continues after December will be interesting to see, everything else are Voyagers.

 

[sonic2009]

How about First PG Tips West Coast Trains? Only joking

Something along the lines of

First West Coast Horizon Trains?

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

 

[dvboy]

Like the Wolverhampton to Rugby, Warrington to Lancaster, Flint to Bangor and Wilmslow/Macclesfield - Stockport - Manchester sections of the West Coast route.

Wolverhampton - Rugby direct can't be done. The ticket check is done between Coventry and Milton Keynes. Virgin don't care about anyone making short journeys.

That aside, there were ticket checks at Wolverhampton this morning, probably to coincide with V Festival.

 

[calc7]

Wolverhampton - Rugby direct can't be done. The ticket check is done between Coventry and Milton Keynes. Virgin don't care about anyone making short journeys.

In full agreement - the track via Weedon is the main money-grabber, as verified by looking at Advance ticket tiering as well as Off-Peak and Anytime ticket prices and (in the case of the former) restrictions.

 

[DL]

That aside, there were ticket checks at Wolverhampton this morning, probably to coincide with V Festival.

And judging from the size of the queues to pay platform side, barriers would definitely increase revenue!

 

[RPI]

Wolverhampton - Rugby direct can't be done. The ticket check is done between Coventry and Milton Keynes. Virgin don't care about anyone making short journeys.

I think the short hop journeys will increase their revenue flow by a considerable amount (probably not £795m in the last year though lol) but by gating some of their stations it may well tap into some "new" markets, i say "new" bcause i expect there are commuters between the likes of Wigan/Preston, Crewe/Stafford etc who very rarely pay, assuming gates go in at most of these a lot of the chancers will end up buying seasons. I also imagine First will up West Coast's game dramaticaly with regards to Revenue Protection.

 

[furryfeet]

And judging from the size of the queues to pay platform side, barriers would definitely increase revenue!

How much is it going to cost to put in all these barriers ?

I bet fares will rise simply to pay for them !

 

[jon0844]

First seems to have sussed the new strategy of going for byelaw 18 prosecutions then inviting out of court settlements. Maybe they've done the maths and worked out they can easily pay the Government from these?

 

[Clip]

How much is it going to cost to put in all these barriers ?

I bet fares will rise simply to pay for them !

Fares dont have to rise to pay for gates at all. You would probably find that the fare box rises directly through the installation of gates as more people actually purchase a ticket then not.

 

[Hazlehead]

Fares dont have to rise to pay for gates at all. You would probably find that the fare box rises directly through the installation of gates as more people actually purchase a ticket then not.

It will indeed. Random barriers done at locations such as Macclesfield between 0700-1900 see the ticket office takings rise by over £3000 that day as well as around 2/3 RPI's taking a further £2000! Times this by how many local stations there are and you will soon find your barriers pay for themselves and more