From the ORR: 'Fares and ticketing ^ information and complexity report'

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

The Office of Rail Regulation has today released it's report into fares and ticketing.

Press release:

Rail regulator reveals passengers' ticket confusion and calls for improvements

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)) is calling on train operators to provide better ticket information as revealing research, published today, highlights that many passengers find selecting and buying rail tickets confusing and frustrating.

Over 1,600 rail passengers across Great Britain were questioned on trains, online and as part of focus groups about their experiences of choosing and buying rail tickets. Research highlights a varied understanding of ticket restrictions and validities - including of terminology such as ^peak^, ^off-peak^ and ^Advanced^ ticket types - and the difficulties finding and buying the most cost-effective tickets:

• Nearly three-quarters of all those interviewed were not confident what ^off-peak^ times were. 5% of on-train interviewees travelling on an ^Anytime^ ticket realised that they could have travelled on an ^off-peak^ ticket.
• Over 50% of online respondents agreed that ^it is a bit of a lottery as to whether you find the best price for a rail journey or not^. 45% said that the fare system is too complicated for them to understand.
• 41% of online respondents said they had previously purchased tickets and later found they could have made the journey on cheaper tickets.
• 70% of on-train interviewees were unaware that they could only travel on the specified train on an ^Advance^ ticket. Among those travelling on an ^Advance^ ticket, 37% interviewed did not realise that if they missed their train, and travelled on a later train, they would normally have to buy a new ticket.

The rail regulator is committed to putting passengers at the centre of the rail industry, building on the Government^s Command Paper, published in March, which sets out its vision for customers being at the heart of rail reform. ORR has been working with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here)) to address the ticket complexity research findings, pushing for the provision of better ticket information for passengers. More accessible information must be made available so that passengers can access the most cost-effective fares, understand ticket restrictions and are aware of alternative routes.

Work has started to improve the information presented to passengers on websites, at ticket vending machines, and on tickets, making it clearer and more comprehensive. This includes redesigning train tickets to improve clarity of information (e.g. detailing restrictions on routes) and providing better information about ticket choices at ticket vending machines.

ORR Chair, Anna Walker, said:

    ^ORR^s revealing research shows that passengers are often confused and frustrated by the lack of information about rail tickets, particularly where and when to get the best value fares and what the best ticket options are. Our research speaks for itself. Nearly 50% of passengers surveyed online said that the fares system is too complicated to understand, and 41% who had previously purchased a ticket found they could have made the journey on a cheaper ticket. If passengers do not have the information they need, they can end up paying more than is necessary or find themselves being penalised for having the wrong ticket. Lack of clarity or certainty that they are getting the right ticket can also undermine passengers^ confidence and trust in the railways.

    ^We have been working hard with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) on initiatives which respond to customer demand and I am pleased with the progress being made, and the work that ATOC has undertaken, to make improvements for passengers. Providing clearer information for passengers buying tickets online and at ticket vending machines is a positive step forward, as is improving information on tickets.

    ^I urge train companies to continue with these improvements to win the confidence of passengers. There is much more work to be done including how ticket collection can be made easier, and making sure passengers are able to print off their tickets at home, or use their mobile phones, just like they can when they fly. If other travel industries can do it and make it work, so should the rail industry.^

The rail regulator will continue to work closely with ATOC, individual train companies, and passenger bodies to understand the extent to which new and proposed initiatives will address the problems identified. ORR will monitor their delivery and consider what action might be necessary to ensure that passengers see real change.

The full report and ATOC's response can be found here:
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ticket-complexity-report-june-2012.pdf

ORR's research can be read at:
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/spaft-ticketing-passenger-perceptions.pdf


A lot of the points raised in this report has been flagged up in the past by the likes of Passenger Focus and Which? as well as by individuals such as Barry Doe writing in RAIL magazine. ATOC have generally been very dismissive toward these bodies and individuals. A Which? report last year into the complexities of buying and using train tickets was dismissed by ATOC as being, "seriously misleading and misrepresentative" yet it came to some very similar conclusions as those in this ORR report. 

But now the regulator is involved, ATOC are making changes. Funny that. 

[brompton rail]

Says it all really - 70% didn't really know what Advance tickets meant!

Oh, and how earth shattering, ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) tells TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) to provide more information about ticket types,yet many customers say the system is too complicated for them to understand.

Why can't ORR tell TOCs to produce a SIMPLE fares system that can be understood by the average man in the street who only wants to know a train fares on the odd occasion that he/she travels. It isn't "rocket science"

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

That whole report was millions wasted on stating the obvious

[Brucey]

I often think that Advance tickets should be renamed.  A lot of people think that Advance tickets are any ticket bought in advance of the day of travel.  You can't really blame them for thinking that.

Although I can't really think of a suggestion for a new name.

[BandHcommuter]

I often think that Advance tickets should be renamed.  A lot of people think that Advance tickets are any ticket bought in advance of the day of travel.  You can't really blame them for thinking that.

Although I can't really think of a suggestion for a new name.

I always thought that "Apex^▸ (Advanced Purchase Excursion (fare))" was a snappy name for a fare. Totally undescriptive of the fare validity, but I'm sure people got to know what it meant, and it's not ambiguous in the same way as "advance".

[grahame]

That whole report was millions wasted on stating the obvious

I often think that Advance tickets should be renamed.  A lot of people think that Advance tickets are any ticket bought in advance of the day of travel.  You can't really blame them for thinking that.

Although I can't really think of a suggestion for a new name.

Not necessarily - it's not wasted if some good comes of it, such as notice being taken of issues which we (and Which and others) have gone on about for years, but haven't yet made it on to the agenda of ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here).   Somehow, I'm reminded of BT when I see certain ATOC responses, in the days that they were desparate to milk as much revenue as they could from the old wired phones before mobile and internet swept over them like a tidal wave.

I know name changes have been tried before, but try:

* Restricted (single specified train only)
* Super Offpeak (trains that are usually very quiet)
* Offpeak (trains that are usually quiet)
* Anytrain (valid on all trains)

Restricted tickets are available for sale in limited numbers, and must be purchased before 6 p.m. on the day prior to travel. They can only be changed for a 10 pound admin fee, and the change can only be made up until that 6 p.m. previous day cutoff. Other tickets can be purchased at any time, and can be upgraded to a more expensive ticket (or another ticket at the same price) for payment of the difference (or no payment).

Online booking engines should produce a .pdf displayable / printable timetable when you click on the "which trains is this valid on?" button.  Showing just one train on a restricted ticket would make it very obvious, and it would help people know the offpeak rules for each ticket type too

[vacman]

I'm the first to agree that the system needs a major overhaul, however, the fact that 70% of people didnt know about the Advance ticketing rules just proves how ignorant people can be, i bet if there was a part of the conditions that stated "free money for every advance ticket holder" then they would read that bit! Advance tickets are the one ticket that isn't complicated and are plain and simple, like it actually says on the bottom right hand corner of the ticket "BOOKED TRAIN ONLY".

[ellendune]

If you read the report you will find that the mistake being made most frequently was the other way round.  People thinking that because they bought their ticket in advance, it was an advance ticket and therefore tied to a particular train. 

In industries that think of the people who use their services as customers and for whom customer service is taken seriously, do not right-off customers who have not understood what was said as ignorant - they try and communicate better!

And in case you think this is new fangled stuff, remember the phrase the customer is never wrong? It is over 100 years old http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/106700.html

The ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) report also says:

3.5 Complexity can also lead to passengers buying the wrong ticket for their journey or using their ticket inappropriately, resulting in them having to buy a new ticket or having to pay a penalty or excess fare. Not surprisingly, passengers can feel harshly treated in such circumstances16.

All this reminds me of an exchange on another topic on this board http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=9568.0

Edited to correct typos

[TerminalJunkie]

I often think that Advance tickets should be renamed. 
[...]
Although I can't really think of a suggestion for a new name.

How about 'Restricted' or 'Limited'? Or even 'Non-Refundable'?

[Btline]

Online booking engines should produce a .pdf displayable / printable timetable when you click on the "which trains is this valid on?" button.  Showing just one train on a restricted ticket would make it very obvious, and it would help people know the offpeak rules for each ticket type too

Obviously, people who use The Trainline or derived systems, have a worse experience of buying tickets. On WebITS, you can basically do this already. Plus you don't have to reserve a seat when you buy a ticket.

There should be 4 levels of ticket, with First and Second class of each.

Standard - valid on all trains
Saver - valid after 9.30 (except for journeys over 50 miles, then valid anytime)
Super saver - optional fare for a flow; valid on quieter trains only
Booked train only (limited)

[IndustryInsider]

Saver - valid after 9.30 (except for journeys over 50 miles, then valid anytime)

So, you'd be able to get a cheaper Saver and be able to travel on any rush hour service from Didcot Parkway to London, but have to get a more expensive Standard ticket if you wanted to use the much inferior commuter trains from the next station up the line, Cholsey?   

[Btline]

Saver - valid after 9.30 (except for journeys over 50 miles, then valid anytime)

So, you'd be able to get a cheaper Saver and be able to travel on any rush hour service from Didcot Parkway to London, but have to get a more expensive Standard ticket if you wanted to use the much inferior commuter trains from the next station up the line, Cholsey?   

Hmmmm... I was try to think of something like you had on long distance cross country routes before XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) added restrictions. Perhaps 100 miles?

[grahame]

I often think that Advance tickets should be renamed. 
[...]
Although I can't really think of a suggestion for a new name.

How about 'Restricted' or 'Limited'? Or even 'Non-Refundable'?

I looked for synonyms of "restricted".  And amongst the suggested alternatives are clandestine, controlled, tethered and shackled.

I actually quite like "tethered" as it indicates tied to a particular train.

[eightf48544]

What to call an Advance ticket is an interesting topic.

APEX was for those that remember was a special airline fare, the days before squeasy jet, which was cheaper but meant you had to stay over a Saturday night at your destination. I presume BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) adopted it from teh airlines.

What ever you call it one way would be to put the train on which it is valid on the ticket. I attach a copy of DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) E ticket I used last year year from Wernigerode to Berlin cut down which included an ICE from Braunschweig which is clearly stated on the ticket.

Online-Ticket
Bitte auf A4 ausdrucken
ICE Fahrkarte
G^ltigkeit: ab 13.02.2011
Gilt nur f^r eingetragene Z^ge und Reisetage (Zugbindung). *NV*: Gilt in
Nahverkehrsz^gen auf eingetragenen Strecken je Fahrt 1 Tag bis Folgetag 10 Uhr
Sparpreis (Einfache Fahrt)
Klasse: 1
Erw: 1
Hinfahrt: Wernigerode Berlin, mit ICE, (N-SP6649)
^ber: NV*BS-Hbf 11:00 ICE694
Umtausch/Erstattung 15 EURO; ab dem 1. Geltungstag ausgeschlossen
Zahlungspositionen und Preis
Positionen Preis MwSt (D) 19% MwSt (D) 7%
ICE Fahrkarte 1 49,00^ 49,00^ 7,82^
Reservierung 1 3,50^ 3,50^ 0,56^
Summe 52,50^ 52,50^ 8,38^
Kreditkartenzahlung
Betrag 52,50^ VU-Nr 4556695619 Transaktions-Nr 882483
Datum 14.01.2011 Gen-Nr 071834
Ihre Kreditkarte wurde mit dem oben genannten Betrag belastet. Die Buchung Ihres
Online-Tickets erfolgte am 14.01.2011. DB Fernverkehr AG/DB Regio AG,
Stephensonstr. 1, 60326 Frankfurt, Steuernummer: 045 231 28552.
Barcode bitte nicht knicken!
Hinfahrt:
Zertifikat: 20W8 PX2Q J1G
G^ltig ab: 13.02.2011
Zangenabdruck
Mr. John Fowler
ID-Karte: MasterCard 4428
Auftragsnummer: NWS1YC
Ihre Reiseverbindung und Reservierung Hinfahrt am 13.02.2011
Halt Datum Zeit Gleis Fahrt Reservierung
Wernigerode 13.02. ab 09:18 2 Salzgitter-Ringelh. 13.02. an 10:17 2 RE^▸ (Religious Education) 3606
Salzgitter-Ringelh. 13.02. ab 10:29 7 Braunschweig Hbf 13.02. an 10:51 5 RB 14374
Braunschweig Hbf 13.02. ab 11:00 7 Berlin Hbf 13.02. an 12:20 11
ICE 694 1 Sitzplatz, Wg. 12, Pl. 106, 1 Fenster, Abteil, Nichtraucher,
Ruhebereich gungen der DB AG bzw. besondere Regelungen f^r bestimmte Strecken und Angebote (z.B. innerhalb von Verkehrsverb^nden, Tarifgemeinschaften, L^ndertarife). Mehr Information gibt es unter www.bahn.de/onlineticket. Wir danken Ihnen f^r Ihre Buchung und w^nschen Ihnen eine angenehme Reise!
Aktuelle
Infos aufs
Handy!
Fahrpl^ne, P^nktlichkeit,
Ticketbuchung und mehr!
m.bahn.de
NWS1YC Seite 1 / 1

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i would have thoguht that makes it pretty clear that it would only be valid on ICE694 although I didn't have to use the suggested iternery to get to Braunschweig.

I have another one from Berlin to Gorlitz which was soley on local trains and although there is an itinery printed I didn't actually travel on the trains suggested. No problems.

[IndustryInsider]

Perhaps 100 miles?

That would mean that it's OK for Chippenham commuters to fork out for a standard ticket to London, whereas their friends just down the road in Bath Spa get all the benefits of cheap travel any time they want in the peaks?