SET high speed versus PRIV rate...

[W230]

I was looking on Platform this morning (the FCC intranet) at something else travel benefit related and came across this:

Southeastern's Highspeed services from 13 December

FCC staff, spouse/partner and dependants are eligible to use their National Rail travel facilities* for travel on these services except at the following peak times:
•Not on trains scheduled to arrive at St Pancras before 09:59, Monday-Friday
•Not on trains scheduled to depart from St Pancras between 16:00 and 18:59, Monday-Friday
•Not on contra peak services between Stratford and St Pancras during the above hours

Note: Services referred to above are only barred to National Rail travel facilities* for the portion of the journey on the High Speed 1 route, i.e between Gravesend, Ebbsfleet, Ashford International, Stratford and St Pancras & vice versa. You may still use National Rail travel facilities at any time to travel on these services for the portion of the journey on Southeastern tracks, e.g. Ramsgate/Canterbury to Ashford International, Dover/Folkestone to Ashford International and vice versa.

You may, of course, travel on the barred services by payment of the normal public fare.

As a FCC member of staff you are reminded that you, spouse or partner and dependants must surrender your seat in favour of fare-paying passengers, if necessary, if you are travelling using National Rail travel facilities*.

*National Rail facilities referred to are:
Safeguarded staff - Staff Travel Card (May be used for free travel or to purchase privilege tickets)

Non-Safeguarded staff -TOC Privilege Travel Card (Must be used to purchase privilege tickets)

I'm intrigued by the restrictions placed by SET on using the TOC priv card on peak flow services into/from St Pancras. While it doesn't affect me as I never use these services, i'd assumed that the TOC priv card was an agreement between all TOC's for the 75% discount and didn't know that they could limit certain services - it includes safeguarded and non safeguarded travel so is in effect a blanket on discounted travel at this time.

While i'm aware that TOC's have reciprocal agreements relating to travel with each other (bizarrely this information is slapped in the middle of the reciprocal travel agreements page), I wan't aware that they could/would put a ban on priv rate/safeguarded travel on certain trains.

Are TOC's able to limit certain services in this manner or is this SET being elitist about their High Speed service again?

 

[AlexS]

Sure, there's a list of restrictions updated periodically on the RSTL website.

 

[RJ]

That information appears to out of date - the restrictions document on the ATOC website no longer mentions these.

 

[W230]

Thanks for your replies gentlemen.

I'm not surprised the info is out of date as i'm not sure that page gets updated often but now I know that there are restrictions I will endeavour to find the link via RSTL website!

 

[RJ]

This is the page containing the relevant document - www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-staff-travel/restrictions/

I travel between St Pancras and Canterbury West several times a week, often during rush hour and I've had no problems using Priv discounted fares.

 

[Mojo]

Yes - those restrictions are ancient; they were scrapped a few months after the Highspeed service started operating.

 

[SoonToBeMrsS]

I use them regularly. No restrictions on PRIV tickets any more.