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priv discount to be allowed on off peak tickets

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bnm

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Many of us get free travel even though we are non safeguarded. Its called asking the guard. I NEVER charge staff and never will. Its called looking after your colleagues. I appreciate in many lines of employment you don't get that but it still exists quite broadly on the railway! And long may that respect continue.

In most lines of business giving away a product or service to colleagues would see you being dismissed. Does your employer approve and condone you denying them revenue?
 
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maniacmartin

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In the same way that workers of Tesco and Sainsbury's are all one family?
 

ANorthernGuard

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In the same way that workers of Tesco and Sainsbury's are all one family?

Railway camaraderie is similar to camaraderie withing the Emergency services etc. We look after each other and watch each others backs. Not many industries you get that anymore (which is a shame)
 

LowLevel

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If they consciously chose to be! On the railway you work funny hours each day, go through stages of seeing your colleagues more than your family, and can go through some pretty extreme emotional experiences together. As the way of looking after each other has survived, its quite appropriate.

And yeah, I'm free as a bird for railway staff (and just to be fair, even managers) as well - this includes freight and network rail. To be fair to the punters, if there's a genuine issue, them too.
 

Haywain

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Many of us get free travel even though we are non safeguarded. Its called asking the guard. I NEVER charge staff and never will. Its called looking after your colleagues. I appreciate in many lines of employment you don't get that but it still exists quite broadly on the railway! And long may that respect continue.
I'm sure that's a very nice attitude, but it isn't right. It effectively only rewards those who don't make an attempt to purchase before they travel, and places unfair pressure on other colleagues to allow this. As railway staff we should always be travelling with valid tickets and encouraging anything other than that ultimately ends up with staff getting into trouble for not buying tickets because they believe it isn't necessary. And believe me, that does happen, and people do lose jobs through it.
 

ANorthernGuard

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I'm sure that's a very nice attitude, but it isn't right. It effectively only rewards those who don't make an attempt to purchase before they travel, and places unfair pressure on other colleagues to allow this. As railway staff we should always be travelling with valid tickets and encouraging anything other than that ultimately ends up with staff getting into trouble for not buying tickets because they believe it isn't necessary. And believe me, that does happen, and people do lose jobs through it.

Always get one lol. I don't know anyone who has even been warned about letting staff travel for free and I am not a newbie lol. So maybe it does happen but only when people either (and I mean staff) put a complaint in or will ateempt to do anything to climb up the corporate ladder to nowhere.
 

LowLevel

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Its the prevailing attitude and always has been - even the management are decided half hearted about the issue where I work. That said, I do tend to buy a ticket for anything but short hops - but can't deny 'asking for a lift' for the odd couple of station hop locally (before boarding rather than after). Particularly where its only the politicians mucking about with the franchises that have resulted in your being non valid in the first place.

I won't ching up colleagues as in addition it would take about 30 mins to get blackballed.
 

ANorthernGuard

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Its the prevailing attitude and always has been - even the management are decided half hearted about the issue where I work. That said, I do tend to buy a ticket for anything but short hops - but can't deny 'asking for a lift' for the odd couple of station hop locally (before boarding rather than after). Particularly where its only the politicians mucking about with the franchises that have resulted in your being non valid in the first place.

I won't ching up colleagues as in addition it would take about 30 mins to get blackballed.

This is where (finally) we can get a good deal IF we do manage to get discounts on off peak tickets. I would but a svr priv to somewhere like London with no probs and so would many many more to other destinations but it would never stop myself or anyone I know looking after our colleagues.
 

Qwerty133

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In the same way that workers of Tesco and Sainsbury's are all one family?

When was the last time you saw Sainsburys sell Tesco products however TOC often sell tickets for use, dispatch and occasionally even work on each other's trains. Personally think Priv should be extended to Network Rail and agency staff such as cleaners, catering and revenue.
(said as a 16 YO who has no connection to any rail staff nor any plans to work in the industry)
 

ANorthernGuard

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When was the last time you saw Sainsburys sell Tesco products however TOC often sell tickets for use, dispatch and occasionally even work on each other's trains. Personally think Priv should be extended to Network Rail and agency staff such as cleaners, catering and revenue.
(said as a 16 YO who has no connection to any rail staff nor any plans to work in the industry)

I give free travel to anyone who works on the railway whether they are train crew, bobbies, cleaners Notwork ahem Network Rail. The railway is one big jigsaw which we all have a part to play in delivering the final product (sounds very corporate lol)
 

hairyhandedfool

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..... I don't know anyone who has even been warned about letting staff travel for free and I am not a newbie lol....

I think the last bit is the problem, your not a newbie, but plenty of them are not so forgiving as the BR staff.

.....So maybe it does happen but only when people either (and I mean staff) put a complaint in or will ateempt to do anything to climb up the corporate ladder to nowhere.

I tend not to ask for free travel unless I could legitimately get it, but it would take much longer to get anywhere, and, to be fair, in most cases staff are fine with it. The most problems I have are not with travelling free, but actually using Priv discounted tickets, though these problems do tend to occur when using a certain Intercity TOC.
 

Mugby

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This is good news. The PRIV discount has become increasingly irrelevant, and this development may see an increase in revenue from rail staff using their PRIV's

Well I certainly would use Priv's much more than I do now. Obviously I save my boxes for longer journeys but certain journeys which I don't regard as particularly long, Derby to Sheffield for example have become relatively expensive, that one is now over five pounds for a day return.

With regard to 'Asking the Guard' It's something I've never done because I would feel embarrassed to do so, but don't forget, in many cases you have to get through the barriers first. I was travelling today down through Gloucester and Swindon using a box and when I broke my journey at both places my card was scrutinised very closely indeed by FGW barrier staff who appeared to be fairly recent entrants to the job.
 

Tracky

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In most lines of business giving away a product or service to colleagues would see you being dismissed. Does your employer approve and condone you denying them revenue?

I have discussed this with a manager. My view is that when management can ensure the scrotey little fare dodging scumbags pay their fare I will then, and only then, consider charging fellow workers who may be of some use to me should there be an incident.... It raised no objection...
 

Flying Snail

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Always get one lol. I don't know anyone who has even been warned about letting staff travel for free and I am not a newbie lol. So maybe it does happen but only when people either (and I mean staff) put a complaint in or will ateempt to do anything to climb up the corporate ladder to nowhere.

That's fine in Northernland where barriers are scarce and guards can give the nod, with the likes of FCC it would be a foolish move to jump on and hope the RPIs would walk on and not put in a report.

While I have no problem with you letting your railway colleagues on it in some ways is counter productive as it undermines the problem of limited availability of official staff travel.

I am in a similar same position and I do let Priv holders travel for free. In my case there is zero official leisure facilities on the services I operate. I get Priv rate as well as 20 free journeys per year on Irish Rail but nothing on my own company Bus Eireann, there is a facility for getting a home-work pass as well for whichever company is applicable. The same goes for Irish Rail and Dublin Bus staff. It is daft as the rail network here is sparse with the city and national bus services covering much more routes. The lack of any official facility on our services mean it is a case of ask the driver and hope he has some cop-on. From my point of view it is a very easy decision, normally I am on my own so any on-board staff likely to offer back-up is more than enough of a payment for me. Sadly not all of my colleagues take the same attitude, not helped by some bullying from management, so I would not be 100% confident of getting the same in return away from my home depot.

I tend not to ask for free travel unless I could legitimately get it, but it would take much longer to get anywhere, and, to be fair, in most cases staff are fine with it. The most problems I have are not with travelling free, but actually using Priv discounted tickets, though these problems do tend to occur when using a certain Intercity TOC.

Care to expand on that? From the general attitude I have seen from (a minority) of on-board staff I would not be surprised to see problems with travelling free but what possible issues could they have with valid Priv discounted tickets?

I have only ever gotten 2 types of response when using Priv in Britain, the guards who check them the same as any other ticket or those who see the Priv and immediately lose any interest in checking the ticket further.

I have had a ticket office clerk who was rather sceptical about my priv card and went to a colleague to check but that I am not surprised about as our cards are very amateurish looking and the wording on them is not very clear.
 
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RJ

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I'd never ask a guard for a free ride. It has potential to create an awkward situation so I avoid it. What I will do is show my Priv and ask if they're prepared to sell me a ticket on board.
 

sarahj

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The problem with free rides is there is always one. Normaly someone who is new, or newish and have just come out of training.

I have a policy, but wont go into it here, but politeness goes a long way. The only time I have ever been miffed off with another rail staff member is finding a northern pass holder sitting down on a packed rush hour coast bound service from Victoria.

When I'm off my patch, I do pay, but since the current priv discount is crap, its normally for short trips, eg metro centre to newcastle, alnmouth to newcastle and either pay before I board, or seek the guard. Mind, once I got to the barriers at a certain large northern/east coast station and found I'd missplaced my tickets, as I was looking for them, I showed my southern pass, barrier was opened.

But back to the original topic. Looking forward to this coming in. The anytime fare from London to Newcastle is just silly and a priv discount off silly is still not worth it, so just drive. A decent fare might even make it worth it to train it up there and then rent a car for visting everyone that I need to when I'm up there.
 

LowLevel

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In most lines of business giving away a product or service to colleagues would see you being dismissed. Does your employer approve and condone you denying them revenue?

The day the managers stop asking themselves possibly something may be done about it. As many of them feel equally aggrieved at the way the railway is buggered about with I doubt it will cause issued any time soon. I recently ran into one of my bosses asking for a 100 plus mile lift off a guard.

Of course the senior managers still issue each other status passes that give unlimited free travel anywhere anyway, in first class - with that in mind why shouldn't we peons help each other out? We are all in it together after all ! :p
 

hairyhandedfool

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....Care to expand on that? From the general attitude I have seen from (a minority) of on-board staff I would not be surprised to see problems with travelling free but what possible issues could they have with valid Priv discounted tickets?....

Not particularly, but the main one was a rather circuitous route, I tried explaining that it was in the routeing guide, he simply repeated that he "wasn't having it" and said that if I wasn't off the train at the next stop he'd be charging me for a new ticket. Not wanting the scene it would cause, and knowing I could legitimately use my free travel pass from the next stop, I got off.
 

Minilad

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The day the managers stop asking themselves possibly something may be done about it. As many of them feel equally aggrieved at the way the railway is buggered about with I doubt it will cause issued any time soon. I recently ran into one of my bosses asking for a 100 plus mile lift off a guard.

Of course the senior managers still issue each other status passes that give unlimited free travel anywhere anyway, in first class - with that in mind why shouldn't we peons help each other out? We are all in it together after all ! :p

Now where is that like button
 

SPADTrap

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In most lines of business giving away a product or service to colleagues would see you being dismissed. Does your employer approve and condone you denying them revenue?

This made me laugh, a lot! <D
 
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bnm

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This made me laugh, a lot! <D

Glad I amused you. Question wasn't meant to be funny. Made in a spirit of enquiry. I was after some idea of the thinking of higher management toward rail staff giving and receiving free travel above and beyond the staff travel facilities already offered.

It appears some of you do, some of you don't. That can't be an ideal situation when there might be a refusal. Or if there is an encounter with RPIs after free travel has been given.
 

Pumbaa

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It's supposedly a one year trial at first- presumably in case it causes huge amounts of unforeseen abstraction.
I imagine it must have been costed and shown to be (at worst) revenue-neutral to the industry to have been approved by the various groups, scheme councils and boards at ATOC.

I've not seen official confirmation so I won't take it as gospel, but the above has been floating around for a while - the thought that the current arrangement is at worst losing revenue. I'd expect that if PRIV is to be allowed on other walk-up fares to make leisure travel more affordable for employees that part of the deal will include TOCs ensuring that they get the extra revenue, ie getting staff who currently wing it for free to pay.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Being very controversial - I have to say I don't agree with you.

When you joined the railway, you knew the terms, conditions and benefits that applied to the role therefore I dont see what you have to complain about. The fact that other employees get free travel because longer service is irrelevant.

If I was to join BA now, my travel perks would not be as advantageous as those who have been there for years - would I have a right to complain? I think not.

Some people get free travel, some don't. Get over it.

I agree with you absolutely - this is the way forward

I find this volte face rather bizarre - in the first instance you are illustrating how terms and conditions mean that the individual loses out financially and they should just suck it up, whereas in the second instance you are suggesting that the terms and conditions would result in the individual losing out financially, but these ones are okay to ignore?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
What I will do is show my Priv and ask if they're prepared to sell me a ticket on board.

That is generally my approach, and one that I think most staff would do well to employ. Staff expecting a free ride and not having the courtesy to attempt to fulfil their obligation to buy a ticket receive short shrift from me.
 

LowLevel

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The only exception I've made of late was for a Virgin Trains woman who huffed when I said she couldn't get on because the cleaners were working still and putting out labels, then when I did my check didn't even take her nose out of her book, just flashed her ID at me without looking,let alone asking. She got charged for her crappy attitude, not out of a desire to please senior manglement :)
 

Monty

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I can't and won't comment on 'free rides' but what I will say that if we will be able to use our PRIV passes on off-peak fares then that would be fantastic. Would save the missus and me quite a bit as we prefer to travel around the country than go abroad.
 

PermitToTravel

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When was the last time you saw Sainsburys sell Tesco products however TOC often sell tickets for use, dispatch and occasionally even work on each other's trains. Personally think Priv should be extended to Network Rail and agency staff such as cleaners, catering and revenue.
(said as a 16 YO who has no connection to any rail staff nor any plans to work in the industry)

Airlines share airports, and sell each others' products/tickets. Would it, in your opinion, be morally okay for a member of airline staff to (were it possible) allow a member of staff from another airline free travel?

This made me laugh, a lot! <D

Because you can't think of a response?
 

Llanigraham

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As a new(ish) entrant Network Rail signalman I don't get free travel of any sort. Yes, I knew when I started I wouldn't get it, but at that time I didn't realise that those that work for my local TOC got free travel. If I travel locally I do often get a free trip offered but think I have only accepted it once and then because I had actually left my advance bought ticket in the car. We regularly get warned that if we are caught it is "tea and no biscuits" and a final brown envelope in the post.

I would like to see details of this "offer" because I suspect that my colleagues and I will still not be included.

Ce la vie.
 
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andythebrave

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Airlines share airports, and sell each others' products/tickets. Would it, in your opinion, be morally okay for a member of airline staff to (were it possible) allow a member of staff from another airline free travel?

It does happen. In my previous life in aviation I managed no cost Club World Gatwick-New York & Dallas-Gatwick, Economy returns to Los Angeles, Miami and Montreal amongst others and a 'hitch a ride' from Glasgow to Aberdeen. I don't know about now, but certainly up until around 14 years ago industry discounts were ID75, ID90 & ID100, the numbers referring to the percentage discount off the unrestricted fare. Similar fares were available to agents but prefixed with AD.
 
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A-driver

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Because you can't think of a response?


It made me laugh too but not because I can't think of a response. Just because it's yet another railUK post which stinks of jealousy and bitterness to rail staff. How dare we be friendly to one another or act like a big family within their now fragmented industry?

It's not comparable to a supermarket or an airport as there is no cost involved to anyone. If a sainsburys employee bought some milk in tesco then a tesco staff member wouldn't let then off without paying as it will cost their employer for the cost if the milk. If I travel free on a train I'm not adding to the TOCs cost. If a fare paying passenger requires my seat then I'll gladly give it up. Plus if the guard or driver required my assistance then id gladly step forward to help. That is why guards have also been known to allow police/armed forces to travel free to.

And anyway, loads of other industries have staff offering 'perks' to family and friends in officially-a friend of mine used to work in a cinema and she always let us go in without paying,
 

bengley

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Airlines share airports, and sell each others' products/tickets. Would it, in your opinion, be morally okay for a member of airline staff to (were it possible) allow a member of staff from another airline free travel?



Because you can't think of a response?

Dude. Airlines aren't railways. It's not the same thing so don't even try to compare it. Fact is, you can just jump on a train most of the time without having to make any advance bookings.

Rail staff are there to help out in the same way that police who get free travel are there to help out in the event of an incident.

I've been travelling PRIV on Chiltern before when an incident arose - it saw me spending my entire journey from Brum to London with a torch pointed down the gangway of one coach - the lights weren't working and the train was rammed.

There's absolutely no harm in allowing other staff to travel for free - it used to be commonplace and legit and still should be.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It made me laugh too but not because I can't think of a response. Just because it's yet another railUK post which stinks of jealousy and bitterness to rail staff. How dare we be friendly to one another or act like a big family within their now fragmented industry?

It's not comparable to a supermarket or an airport as there is no cost involved to anyone. If a sainsburys employee bought some milk in tesco then a tesco staff member wouldn't let then off without paying as it will cost their employer for the cost if the milk. If I travel free on a train I'm not adding to the TOCs cost. If a fare paying passenger requires my seat then I'll gladly give it up. Plus if the guard or driver required my assistance then id gladly step forward to help. That is why guards have also been known to allow police/armed forces to travel free to.

And anyway, loads of other industries have staff offering 'perks' to family and friends in officially-a friend of mine used to work in a cinema and she always let us go in without paying,

Precisely. You're not adding to the operating costs by being on the train.

The value of trained members of staff being on board in case of emergency far outweighs the 'cost' of them travelling for free.
 
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