FGW "would like to adopt Delay Repay"

[whole diary]

[stuving]

From the Bracknell News Midweek:

But First Great Western has now told The Midweek it would like to adopt a new system ^ known as ^Delay Repay^ when the franchise for the heaving Reading to London route comes up for contract tendering in September next year.
...
FGW^▸ (First Great Western) spokesman Dan Panes said: ^Our current franchise was let with a compensation scheme based on the Passenger Charter system.
^We would wholeheartedly support adopting the Delay Repay, should the Department for Transport include it in any future franchise.^

Commuter Emily Gray has set up a petition calling on First Great Western to allow season ticket holders to be able to make a claim for compensation after experiencing weeks of disruption during the floods.
... To sign the petition, visit epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/61193.

[JayMac]

Why wasn't it adopted during the most recent negotiation with the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) for the 23 month management contract? Virgin, when they got their extension, moved over to Delay Repay.

I don't think it's a case either of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) "supporting", or "...would like to adopt" Delay Repay when the franchise is re-tendered. Delay Repay is a fixture of all franchise awards.

[paul7575]

I don't think it's a case either of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) "supporting", or "...would like to adopt" Delay Repay when the franchise is re-tendered. Delay Repay is a fixture of all franchise awards.

That's exactly what I expected to happen. It was explained thus in the abandoned ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender) for the GW^▸ (Great Western) franchise and clearly not optional:

4.7.8.1 Delay Repay / Passenger^s Charter
Bidders will be required to produce a Passenger^s Charter including a Delay Repay compensation scheme based on delays to journeys. The Delay Repay compensation scheme should apply to all ticket types from daily tickets through to annual season ticket holders irrespective of what caused the delay.

Call me a cynic, but I'd expect delay repay to actually be cheaper for the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) than dishing out annual 5% or 10% 'charter discounts' whether individual passengers have been delayed or not...

Paul

[JayMac]

I think Delay Repay is probably more expensive. Not only is every type of ticket holder eligible for compensation per journey, but the threshold starts at 30 minutes and payment is made regardless of the cause of the delay.

I wonder if someone at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) had a crystal ball in the summer last year, when the management contract was being negotiated, and foresaw the problems outside their control that have befallen the network in recent weeks.

Legally, FGW have not had to offer compensation to anyone effected by the Dawlish sea wall collapse, line closures due to fallen trees, flooding at Fordgate, flooding at Athelney, flooding at Redbridge, groundwater incursion near Maidenhead... and all the knock on journey delays those have caused.

[paul7575]

I think Delay Repay is probably more expensive. Not only is every type of ticket holder eligible for compensation per journey, but the threshold starts at 30 minutes and payment is made regardless of the cause of the delay.

However, see para 18 of the first letter published here under FOI^▸ (Freedom of Information) discussing the pros and cons.   They give a figure for the savings by FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) as an example, and they are generally reckoned one of the less reliable services:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/25022/response/198723/attach/4/110802%20Sittampalam%20FOI%20ICO%20Delay%20Repay%20Released.pdf

There are a selection of papers discussing the policy, and responses to some TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) criticisms included here and there.

Paul

[JayMac]

Although I note on a couple of occasions in that FOI^▸ (Freedom of Information) bundle that 'Delay Repay' is more expensive to administer than automatic discounts annually for Season Ticket holders. And are the savings in the round or just relevant to compensation to Season Ticket holders? Also, what holds true for a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) that predominantly carries commuters (such as FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect)), where there will be a larger proportion of Season Ticket holders, may not be the same for a long distance or mixed traffic TOC.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western), being very much a 'mixed traffic' TOC, with commuter, regional, and long distance services may well find that Delay Repay, with its '30 minutes' and 'whatever the cause' thresholds, is more expensive overall. That's my contention.

[bobm]

If I understand the system correctly Delay Repay will be fairer.  Don't FGW^▸ (First Great Western) get compensation for delays from Network Rail which they can currently hold on to if the delay is caused by things not included in the Passengers' Charter?

[JayMac]

That's the money-go-round bobm.

And that's why we have (so I understand) some 300+ staff in the rail industry whose only job is to sort out delay attribution. 

[SDS]

Delay Attributation
The posh name for passing delay mins to someone else even if it's your TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) own fault. If you look hard enough you can normally pass the mins to NeR.