What benefits do you get with each TOC?

[Emilymay86]

Hi I'd specifically like to know what you get with GA - like free travel? How much? is there a limit and is it for family too?

But thought others may be keen to know about all the TOCs

 

[TheVicLine]

Generally you get free travel with the TOC that you work for as does your spouse and any dependants in full time education under the age of 18.

All the above also get 75% travel discount with other TOCs. Some TOCs will also give free travel with other operators within their group e.g. I work for First TPE and get 10 free tickets to travel with any other First Group TOC per year.

If you are looking to work for GA you will not however get any free travel with LU. LU staff also get no free travel or discounted travel with other TOCs other than for discounted annual season tickets for use to and from work.

 

[paulravuslante]

With HEx, we get free travel on HEx / Connect of course but also FGW 'turbo' services as far as Reading (including the branchlines). ATOC too, as mentioned above.

Also, free long stay parking at whatever airports BAA still owns, discounts at some airport retailers and access to air travel discounts

 

[SPADTrap]

Do GA staff get the PTAC oyster?

 

[Emilymay86]

With HEx, we get free travel on HEx / Connect of course but also FGW 'turbo' services as far as Reading (including the branchlines). ATOC too, as mentioned above.

Also, free long stay parking at whatever airports BAA still owns, discounts at some airport retailers and access to air travel discounts

Nice benefits!!!

 

[Bodiddly]

I find my Scotrail benefits are very generous. We get free travel on all Scotrail services, free travel on the Caledonian Sleeper and 10 days travel per year on all First Group Rail services. So I can realistically go from Wick to Penzance for free! And just for good measure, as long as there are First buses at my destination, I can ride around on those all week for a fiver.
Not too bad if you ask me!

 

[TheEdge]

GA. We get the standard ATOC pass plus free unlimited travel on GA, Northern and Merseyrail.

No oyster as far as I know.

 

[DJCT1980]

I find my Scotrail benefits are very generous. We get free travel on all Scotrail services, free travel on the Caledonian Sleeper and 10 days travel per year on all First Group Rail services. So I can realistically go from Wick to Penzance for free! And just for good measure, as long as there are First buses at my destination, I can ride around on those all week for a fiver.
Not too bad if you ask me!

Is there any restrictions on the Sleeper, like can you only use it so many times a year. My partners parents live in the Cotswolds and we were thinking the Sleeper would be an idea to get her to London then she can get train to her mums for nothing as first group

 

[455driver]

Although your family get free travel on your TOC (plus possibly others) it is only residential travel and cannot be used for commuting to work or school, cheap season tickets are available for that though.

If a spouse/child is caught using their free travel benefits for commuting when they shouldnt be then the whole family can lose their entitlement for ever. Nice deterrent that!

 

[TheEdge]

Although your family get free travel on your TOC (plus possibly others) it is only residential travel and cannot be used for commuting to work or school, cheap season tickets are available for that though.

Are they though? We asked ATOC for my girlfriend about that and they just gave the usual the "must never use to commute on pain of death" spiel...

 

[Latecomer]

LOROL you get the usual priv/ATOC benefits plus free Oyster for self and spouse for all TfL services (LO/bus/tube/DLR). Furthermore, free travel on Chiltern, Cross Country, Grand Central and Arrival Trains Wales. All together the travel perks are really quite significant.

 

[TheVicLine]

Do GA staff get the PTAC oyster?

Pretty sure it's just LU staff and their dependents that get Oyster cards and PTAC Oyster cards. LU staff don't get anything from the TOCs.

Worked for them for 10 years and cant remember

 

[SPADTrap]

I get it at FCC! Was thinking about making the change but not sure on that!

 

[TheVicLine]

I get it at FCC! Was thinking about making the change but not sure on that!

Really? Didn't think anyone got them from the TOCs. Why don't other First group employees get it then? Might be a FCC thing cos you are working in London. I think old BR employees are still entitled to it.

 

[Hughqq]

Do the FOC's offer travel benefits?

 

[Bodiddly]

Is there any restrictions on the Sleeper, like can you only use it so many times a year. My partners parents live in the Cotswolds and we were thinking the Sleeper would be an idea to get her to London then she can get train to her mums for nothing as first group

No restrictions as far as I'm aware. I know one guy who uses it almost every weekend.

 

[JB25]

Southern we get free travel on Southern, Southeastern, GatEx and London Midland services, and 75% off all others.

 

[swadbus]

Really? Didn't think anyone got them from the TOCs. Why don't other First group employees get it then? Might be a FCC thing cos you are working in London. I think old BR employees are still entitled to it.

FCC and East Coast employees can get a PTAC for LUL services (doesn't include buses). This is becuase FCC and East Coast have a reciprocal arrangement that all TFL staff get 75% off their annual season tickets on these 2 TOCS, rather than the usual price of a season ticket that the company then rebates to their staff (ie, the ticket becomes tax and NI free for the TFL employee).

As well as the Standard ATOC PRIV pass and the FIP internation pass, Greater Anglia offer free Greater Anglia Travel across their whole network, Northern, and Merseyrail travel. They also offer ad-hoc free tickets to staff in their monthly newletter, usually 2 a year for up to 4 people. Another travel perk is that any employee who has 100% attendance in a year (Jan to Dec) gets a free 1st Class upgrade pass for weekends and Bank Holidays for them and anyone travelling with them such as their partner.

 

[455driver]

Do the FOC's offer travel benefits?

No, they get the same as most NR staff, IE nothing.

 

[Emilymay86]

So what does th ATOC and FIP passes give you and does everyone get those?

Thanks x

 

[paulravuslante]

Nice benefits!!! ??????

So what does th ATOC and FIP passes give you and does everyone get those?

Thanks x

Yes, they are good discounts. FIP is for international rail travel and to answer your second question, not everyone gets this as HEx don't issue these

 

[Hughqq]

No, they get the same as most NR staff, IE nothing.

Thanks for the reply

 

[RJ]

London Midland (LM) offer the Govia pass for free unlimited travel on LM, Southeastern and Southern, plus a Priv.

Virgin Trains offer a Priv to staff who are contracted to work at least 15 hours a week. Staff with a permanent contract get a Tribe Card which allows free travel on Virgin Trains services. Staff with a fixed term contract are not entitled to the Tribe Card. Casual staff get neither.

FCC offer a Priv to all staff, regardless of contracted hours work. A pass is issued allowing free travel on FCC services. This pass also allows free travel on Uno and Norfolk Green buses. A pass can be applied for allowing free travel on Southern, this is a quota controlled reciprocal arrangement. Free travel is permitted on EMT for residential purposes only and it is not limited to travel between Bedford and Luton/London only. So staff living in say, Loughborough and working in London can use EMT's services without having to pay. Staff also get at least 10 boxes annually. Each one permits 2 calendar days of travel on any First Group rail service, except between Hayes and Heathrow on Heathrow Connect. A TfL PTAC is also issued, giving staff 75% off both peak and off peak Oyster Pay As You Go fares. Care must be taken not to use it on National Rail services - the discount set on the card is the same as what safeguarded staff get, but the PTAC is restricted to TfL services only. Furthermore, staff are eligible to join the First My Rewards scheme after 6 months of service. Here, there is a quota of 48 units per year for rail benefits. Each one costs £5 to use. A rover for travel on FGW services is 1 unit, as is a single trip on reservable First services. Sometimes it works out better to buy these than use a box. A weekly First bus pass is £5, permitting travel on any Firstbus service in the UK, probably excluding coaches.

With these TOCs at least, staff are entitled to apply for a Priv after 12 months of service on the railways. I had a FIP pass after working with one TOC for 10 months then working with another after 2 months. I took a break from the railways for 11 months, so now I have to wait until I've completed 12 months service again to get the FIP entitlement.

Additionally, TfL staff get a free Oyster Card for TfL services - this includes buses, DLR, LO, LU, trams and possibly the cable car. I have heard the cable car is not included, but the pass works the gate. The Oyster Card also includes travel on a number of "inter-available" routes in the London area, but not all of them. Staff can get a 75% discount/reimbursement on point to point NR season tickets and Priv rate season tickets between any station and London on the East Coast and FCC networks. There are also special discounts available for Eurostar services

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Arriva managed franchises, namely Chiltern, CrossCountry, Arriva Trains Wales, London Overground, Grand Central and Tyne & Wear Metro all get free travel on each others services. Plus 75% discount on other TOCs.

 

[SpamHammer]

Does anyone have info on benefits with SWT?

 

[Frontera2]

Does anyone have info on benefits with SWT?

Free travel on SWT, Island Line and East Midlands Trains, plus 75% off Wightlink Ferries between Portsmouth / Lymington and the Isle of Wight.

Plus of course the standard Priv card and FIP facilities after 12 months.

 

[CyrusWuff]

A TfL PTAC is also issued, giving staff 75% off both peak and off peak Oyster Pay As You Go fares. Care must be taken not to use it on National Rail services - the discount set on the card is the same as what safeguarded staff get, but the PTAC is restricted to TfL services only.

I'd guess that this may have changed with the changes to PRIV discounts on Oyster at the January fares change, but obviously won't affect holders until it comes time to renew the discount.

The short version of this is that there are now three different options for a PRIV Discount on Oyster. One is the full discount for safeguarded staff and allows you to load a PRIV Travelcard Season, and I believe the other two are varying levels of PAYG only discount (off the top of my head, one allows it for LU/DLR/LO and NR, and the other for LU/DLR/LO only).