Great Western Coffee Shop

We have seen massive changes over the last 13 years, especially over the last two.  But some things don't change - here's the first reference on the forum to Split tickets ...


... and, just yesterday, I was on LinkedIn and watching a conversation between our Mark [Hopwood] and others.  An example in question was / is Bristol Parkway to London (Paddington).

£352.00 for a seven day season ticket (traditionally used for 5 round trips)
£230.00 for an anytime period return (1 round trip)
£25.20 + £145.60 = £170.80 (1 round commuter trip, split at Swindon (@))
£35.50 + £24.60 + £70.30 = £130.40 (1 round communter trip, split at Didcot (@))
£35.50 + £24.60 + £4.90 + £50.30 = £115.30 (1 round communter trip, split at Didcot and Cholsey (@))
£35.50 + £24.60 + £19.00 + £50.30 = £129.40 (1 round communter trip, split at Didcot and Cholsey (*))

(@) - Train(s) must call at [all] split points

(*) - Uses a season ticket Didcot to Cholsey, and single use tickets onward each way, so no need to call.
A second trip within 7 days would cost £110.40 as the £19 season ticket would remain valid

The correspondent was a person who had previously been community at peak times on 5 days a week, paying £352 per week (£70.40 per day) and is now going to be travelling 1 or 2 days per week.   Staggered at the high price of a simple ticket as quoted on the GWR website and by staff - who when asked about "the cheapest way to travel to London for the day", answer with the lowest through ticket prices.

Even a 15% carnet saving would only reduce the £230.00 to £195.50!

Edit to add - prices above do not take any account of railcard discounts. Such do not apply to season tickets and some have rules in the "Network South East" area that would mean they would not apply. I do not know if railcard and carnet discounts would be cumulative.

There's likely to be a lot of people making reduced journeys.  If they pay the 'straight' new prices, the loss of 50% of Parkway to Paddington commuters won't make much difference to railway finances as they'll now be paying just as much for 2 days as they did for five.  Perhaps it will even be to the railway's benefit being able to run a lot more trains at 5 carriages rather than 10.   But it's a sure fire way to build up discontent, and re-enforce views that elements of the current fare system are not fit for purpose.

I have to give credit to Mark for how he handled the questions and confirmed that the system needs update. Less credit to another rail industry respondent who suggested that they couldn't offer the "cheapest way" as it would take too long to work out for each customer.  Maybe for walk-ups, but perhaps the official GWR website could do better than it does, using modern compute power to offer the various options, with notes on the restrictions that would apply such as "you must go on a train via Swindon that calls there". 

To clarify notes (@) and (*) from National Rail Conditions of Travel (mirror (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/Conditions_of_Travel_2016.pdf))