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"XC only" Anytime fares to be withdrawn from this Sunday

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All Line Rover

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This list of XC only fares will be withdrawn from the next fares round this Sunday. The paragraph at the bottom of the list seems to acknowledge this, and the fares no longer appear in Avantix Traveller.

One example of an excellent value fare was Glasgow Central to Newcastle. £56 for an SOR or £115 for an FOR. Customers will now have to buy the Any Permitted fare (priced by EC) which is £123 for an SOR or £195 for an FOR. :(

Oh well - it was good while it lasted!
 
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Ivo

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So the only decent fares they do are now being withdrawn? What a surprise <(

The best one was always Edinburgh/Glasgow on an FOS - less than £2!
 

IanXC

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In some cases you do have to question whether this kind of pricing will have any benefit to XC in terms of making use of available space on board their trains. Of course it may transpire that 100% of XC Only fares turns out to be less than ORCATS% of the Any Permitted...
 

All Line Rover

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So the only decent fares they do are now being withdrawn? What a surprise <(

The best one was always Edinburgh/Glasgow on an FOS - less than £2!

Actually that fare appears to be the only one remaining! (Although the price increased ages ago and is now £10.80 for an FDS - before and after this Sunday).
 

All Line Rover

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Shame... their Leamington to Leicester fare (a journey I'll be doing frequently) was very reasonable.

There is no Leamington to Leicester XC only fare. The only "XC-only" fares are XC Advance fares, and these are NOT being withdrawn, at least on this flow. :) There do seem to be some slight price increases, though. (On the Advance fares only, which are unregulated).
 

Failed Unit

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This list of XC only fares will be withdrawn from the next fares round this Sunday. The paragraph at the bottom of the list seems to acknowledge this, and the fares no longer appear in Avantix Traveller.

One example of an excellent value fare was Glasgow Central to Newcastle. £56 for an SOR or £115 for an FOR. Customers will now have to buy the Any Permitted fare (priced by EC) which is £123 for an SOR or £195 for an FOR. :(

Oh well - it was good while it lasted!

I haven't checked recently, but East Coast also had East Coast only fares as tit for tat. Very confusing at Waverley to be honest. Off peak return to York please? Do you want an XC only, and East Coast only or an inter available fare?
 

swt_passenger

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One example of an excellent value fare was Glasgow Central to Newcastle. £56 for an SOR or £115 for an FOR. Customers will now have to buy the Any Permitted fare (priced by EC) which is £123 for an SOR or £195 for an FOR. :(

Oh well - it was good while it lasted!

Maybe withdrawal of Glasgow to Newcastle (and related) XC only fares reflects the fact that ECML no longer run the main service, since the fairly recent timetable changes, so they are just playing catch up?

Just a thought, because in general, a main operator cannot have TOC specific walk up fares...
 

Failed Unit

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Maybe withdrawal of Glasgow to Newcastle (and related) XC only fares reflects the fact that ECML no longer run the main service, since the fairly recent timetable changes, so they are just playing catch up?

Just a thought, because in general, a main operator cannot have TOC specific walk up fares...

I thought it could for retaliation. GNER definately did, such as park and dine on the premium.

Just took a look at the Edinburgh - York flow, £179 east coast only, £180 xc only both 1st class.
 
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yorkie

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Was this XCs decision or did TPE get their way? I know TPE were very against this as I saw a copy of a memo they sent out to staff, asking for evidence that they could use to object to the fares.
I haven't checked recently, but East Coast also had East Coast only fares as tit for tat. Very confusing at Waverley to be honest. Off peak return to York please? Do you want an XC only, and East Coast only or an inter available fare?
That's nothing. Try asking for a ticket from Gatwick to London :lol: The only truly inter-available fares cost an absolute fortune, and you end up having to choose a specific terminal and an operator (and that operator may even deny operating some of its trains, but that can be discussed elsewhere!). York-Edinburgh ticket options are incredibly simple in comparison to that mess!
 

island

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I haven't checked recently, but East Coast also had East Coast only fares as tit for tat. Very confusing at Waverley to be honest. Off peak return to York please? Do you want an XC only, and East Coast only or an inter available fare?

There was never that many EC only fares. In general, standard-class TOC-only walk-up fares cannot be set by the TOC which prices the flow concerned. Most of the EC only walk-up fares of which I am aware are within Scotland (priced by FSR) or are first class. The latter somewhat cynically only a few pounds under the ANY PERMITTED, for example London Terminals to York first class return is £354 ANY PERMITTED but £344 EC ONLY, and EC picks up all of the £344 but has to share the £354 with EMT, GC, FCC, and FHT, and it wouldn't surprise me if Northern, FTPE, AGA, and XC have claims on some of it.

Of course, if that person is savvy, he will have the return on GC for £120!
 

142094

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There used to be quite a bit of bother with people buying Durham - Newcastle XC Only tickets then trying to get away with it on an East Coast or TPE service.
 

DaveNewcastle

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There used to be quite a bit of bother with people buying Durham - Newcastle XC Only tickets then trying to get away with it on an East Coast or TPE service.
There might still be 'a bit of bother' on East Coast between Durham and Newcastle in the unlikely event that there was ever an on-board ticket check in the 15 minutes between those two stations. It has happened on the southbound, but I will have to be persuaded that there has ever been such a full-train check on the northbound (special circumstances excepted).
 

142094

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There might still be 'a bit of bother' on East Coast between Durham and Newcastle in the unlikely event that there was ever an on-board ticket check in the 15 minutes between those two stations. It has happened on the southbound, but I will have to be persuaded that there has ever been such a full-train check on the northbound (special circumstances excepted).

One of the things an automatic barrier cannot pick up.

I can remember a time a good few years ago, when I was just a kid. We had been out for a day in Durham and were getting the train back, but must have sat down in 1st and not realised. Free cup of tea and no ticket check in the 15 minutes. Still feel slightly guilty for doing it.
 

p123

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So the only decent fares they do are now being withdrawn? What a surprise <(

The best one was always Edinburgh/Glasgow on an FOS - less than £2!

Pfft £2! That's mega bucks.

I had a railcard. £1.30 it was for me. To put how good a deal that is into perspective if I'd taken a bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Glasgow Central Station (a journey of less than 1 km) it would have cost me £1.80!

Shame XC ended it a few months ago. I'd argue that was the best bargain on the entire National Rail network.
 

Tomonthetrain

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Would a XC only ticket brought back in march between Edinburgh & Glasgow still be honoured if that flow is being affected?
 

yorkie

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Would a XC only ticket brought back in march between Edinburgh & Glasgow still be honoured if that flow is being affected?
Of course. The contract has been agreed. The TOCs aren't in the business of trying to get out of contracts, and on the rare occasions where a member of staff acts in such a way, we're on hand to help!
 

All Line Rover

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Would a XC only ticket brought back in march between Edinburgh & Glasgow still be honoured if that flow is being affected?

Edinburgh < > Glasgow XC only fares seem to be the only ones that are not being withdrawn. This is probably because ScotRail steal the lions share of ORCATS revenue on this route.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Was this XCs decision or did TPE get their way? I know TPE were very against this as I saw a copy of a memo they sent out to staff, asking for evidence that they could use to object to the fares.

Interestingly TPE are taking over fares between stations north of Preston and Haymarket/Edinburgh, although Virgin still price a number of intermediate journeys. All of the fares remain unchanged.
 

All Line Rover

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In addition to Edinburgh - Glasgow, it seems that the XC Only fares in South West England listed on the linked page are not being withdrawn.

I've entered a few of those journeys into Avantix Traveller and the "XC Only" walk-up fares disappear from May 20th. Only a £10000 "Standard Class Return" ticket remains - sounds about right for XC. :lol:
 

Failed Unit

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Edinburgh < > Glasgow XC only fares seem to be the only ones that are not being withdrawn. This is probably because ScotRail steal the lions share of ORCATS revenue on this route.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Interestingly TPE are taking over fares between stations north of Preston and Haymarket/Edinburgh, although Virgin still price a number of intermediate journeys. All of the fares remain unchanged.

Scotrail steal the lions share? 10 TPH -v- 1/2 TPH? I think earn is the word you are looking for.
 
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Interestingly TPE are taking over fares between stations north of Preston and Haymarket/Edinburgh, although Virgin still price a number of intermediate journeys. All of the fares remain unchanged.

Finally!!! CrossCountry have held the fares from Carlisle etc to Edinburgh for years without actually operating any services on this route. Carlisle to Edinburgh is, in my opinion, hilariously overpriced with the exception of the day returns, at least now these fares will be held by a company actually operating trains, perhaps taking an interest in the pricing.

XC should probably take over the fares from Glasgow to the ECML north of Doncaster, given they operate most of the direct trains.
 

Oscar

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XC should probably take over the fares from Glasgow to the ECML north of Doncaster, given they operate most of the direct trains.
East Coast and Scotrail may well take more of the traffic though, given that there are more of these connections and they are generally faster than the direct services.
 

Failed Unit

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East Coast and Scotrail may well take more of the traffic though, given that there are more of these connections and they are generally faster than the direct services.

Better quality trains (both operators) and more seats <D

The one I would love to see if XCs removal from the pricing of Birmingham fares for north of Edinburgh / Glasgow. It is criminal that thier 0930 time restriction applies on a fare than no-one would use thier trains anyway! I know that XC have more seats between Edinburgh and Birmingham than Virgin, but considering they take 1 hour longer does anyone use them?

Yes we can split.
 

All Line Rover

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The one I would love to see if XCs removal from the pricing of Birmingham fares for north of Edinburgh / Glasgow. It is criminal that thier 0930 time restriction applies on a fare than no-one would use thier trains anyway! I know that XC have more seats between Edinburgh and Birmingham than Virgin, but considering they take 1 hour longer does anyone use them?

Yes we can split.

Or you can just buy the recently introduced "VT Only" Birmingham to Edinburgh SVR which, although the same price and restricts you to travelling with VT only, has a 2T restriction - "any train except those departing before 04:15." Priced by VT, obviously.
 

Failed Unit

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Or you can just buy the recently introduced "VT Only" Birmingham to Edinburgh SVR which, although the same price and restricts you to travelling with VT only, has a 2T restriction - "any train except those departing before 04:15."

I said north of Birmingham ;) hence my comment about splitting.

It is just how many people say from Stirling would think about splitting, they will just think they have being robbed and fly next time. So Virgin will lose a customer because of XC!
 
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