Not quite sure how you got that fare Brucey, I have only ever seen First Class fares shown on parts of that route if you travel on the SWT^▸ (South West Trains) WAT to BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) 159s.

You can do that whole (direct) route first class: split tickets and change at Salisbury, using SWT all the way.

First class single BRI to SAL ^32.50
First class single SAL to PMS ^29.90

Surprisingly, they "annoy" me when they are not "doing what they're designed to do".

After being told by the Duty Manager at Salisbury, and twice in writing by her employers, what an awful problem fare dodging is, as justification for not letting me help my daughter with her luggage - it does get "up my nose" somewhat to see the very expensive devices they have installed to counter this problem just not being used. 

Do the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) really know how much fare dodging there actually is ? How do they know/calculate/guess a figure ? Has anyone does a Cost Benefit Analysis of installing the barriers - which still need to be manned - OR, once they are installed does it beome "cheaper" for the station management to leave them open and not pay someone to man them ?
It strikes me to be rather like my local council when they claim to recycle 34.98% of household rubbish - how to they arrive at this figure ?

I came to the conclusion long ago that  barriers are a waste of time, effort and money. All they do is annoy honest passengers and have NO deterrent effect on fare dodgers.

Yesterday I went through a barrier line 6 times, (four at Bath Spa, two at Swindon) between 1500 and 2030 - EVERYTIME they were unmanned and locked open !

Absolutely pointless !

At Coulston this morning, between Pewsey & Westbury, heading for Weymouth. The "Black Five" appeared to be doing all the work !

Advance 1st single from Warminster: ^11.20 plus ^1.60 for the coffee.
Peak train 1st single from Salisbury: ^58.10 inc "free" coffee.

It had better be b****y good coffee for that sort of money !! 

I've just noticed that the May '10 complete timetable doesn't have the route mileages on the first page of each individual timetable.
It may be just because it is described as a "forthcoming" document, I can't remember noticing when the current timetable was first issued.

It may be worth hanging on to the current timetable if you want to keep the mileages - unless there is a another source for them.

If the train had hit and killed him, I expect his dog would have sued FGW^▸ (First Great Western) !

DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) says:

"Using discretion. Authorised collectors must be given the discretion not to charge a penalty fare in a particular instance, even where the passenger is liable to pay a penalty fare under the Penalty Fares Rules. Operators must think carefully about the guidelines they give to authorised collectors about how they should use this discretion. We expect authorised collectors to use discretion towards:

passengers who are travelling from stations where the only ticket facilities available are ticket machines or a 'permit to travel' machine, and who have enough money (or a credit or debit card) to buy a ticket but not in the form needed to use the ticket or 'permit to travel' machine;

passengers who are travelling from stations where the only ticket facilities available are ticket machines and who claim that the machines were accepting coins only, or the exact fare only, and the passenger did not have the necessary coins (unless the authorised collector can confirm that the machines were in fact working normally);"

Didn't used to be before they shut one of the platforms   

One of the things that I discovered in my reasearch when engaged in my battle with TVL is that the Licence is classified as a tax. This was done so that the revenue raised by the Licence would count as part of GDP. Damn' clever what ?

To be fair, you do get a bigger seat with more legroom, in 2 + 1 configuration - and it is less crowded.
I am only 6ft and find the standard class seating extremely lacking in leg room ! Apart from the wheelchair seats there don't seem to be any "priority seats" as on FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s 158s.

The last "free" coffee I got (on FGW) was without doubt the worst hot lukewarm tepid drink I have had for years ! SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s off the trolley (paid for !) is at least drinkable.

You are right on two counts: I (and many, many others) resent paying for the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) to waste my money on p***-ups for Z list "celebrities" on election night - Joan Collins pontificating on the election !!!!!!!!
The BBC Trust started an investigation to look into the way the TV licence was collected (in 2008). There was a questionnaire to download and fill in along with any comments you would like to make. I did this, along with a very (well, I thought so !) reasoned argument as to why the licence in its present form was well past its sell by date.

I never even received an acknowledgement ......................

Who says that the fares system is difficult to understand



Came across this today whilst trying to plan a journey !  BUT you have to say that the two cheapest fares shown are very good value.

Can I think about this one ?

(Warminster)

UPDATE

I have now had two letters from SWT^▸ (South West Trains) so far, both saying that it was a "commercial decision" to limit platform access to rail ticket holders.  My main point, clearly asked in both my letters, asking exactly what the "compulsory ticket area" at Salisbury station actually is, has been totally ignored. Letter No 3 is in "Word" awaiting completion.

The second letter from SWT does include this statement:  "Penalty Fares apply to journeys from Salisbury station when travelling with SWT and FGW^▸ (First Great Western)".

I would appreciate any comments from Forum members on what this statement means. As far as I am aware Penalty Fares to do not apply from Warminster to Salisbury (as an example) - is it possible for Penalty Fares to apply from Salisbury to Warminster ?? Is it possible for PFs^▸ (Penalty Fare) to apply to one train but not another serving the same route
Is anyone aware of a web page which clearly shows which routes/areas are covered by Penalty Fares schemes ?

Just to finish:
Letter No 1 says: "Our staff are under instruction to ............... behave........... with very little discretion"
Letter No 2 says: "Our staff will show discretion when dealing with disabled or elderly customers"

Surely, to be a "customer" of SWT you must be in possession of a ticket, so why does discretion need to be shown then?
Perhaps only elderly and disabled people are the only ones expected to want to go onto the platform to assist much younger and fully fit persons with their luggage !