Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines

[whole diary]

[polonia]

My first post and some good news - Just seen the announcement from Andrew Haines about increased levels of compensation on renewal of season ticket, basically seems to be doubling the statutory reductions for poor performance - a welcome gesture 


http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=578

In all my years of travelling Great Western/First Great Western, I can't recall a year when the 5% discount hasn't applied  - if they ever do achieve satisfactory levels I'm not sure my bank balance will be able to bear it....!

[devonian]

I'm slightly confused by these discounts. I commute from Newton Abbot and Exeter on monthly tickets. According to the passenger charter, 5% discounts currently apply to both HST^▸ (High Speed Train) and Devon lines.

Yet, when I went to renew my season ticket online, it wanted to charge me the full ^101. Is there a reason for this?

[Timmer]

Welcome to the forum Polonia. I agree its a more than welcome gesture that comes at an interesting time with a MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) 'fare strike' due to take place next week. Its good that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have backed up saying sorry with this extra discount to season ticket holders, shows they mean it. Its also a good bit of PR^▸ (Public Relations) from Andrew Haines.

[Timmer]

MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) have responded to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s offer:

http://mtls.org.uk/node/48

MTLS dismisses FGW's offer as hollow promises-Fare Strikes to go ahead
MTLS confirmed today that all fare strikes are still to go ahead on Jan 28th despite FGW offer of increased compenstaion for delayed passengers.
A spokesperson for MTLS said, "FGW is once again playing the public relations game with hollow promises, but offering very little. Commuters want a decent service at a fair price instead of increased compensation for some, and a continued poor service for all.

The main benefits extend to monthly and annual season ticket holders who will stand to receive increased compensation if punctauallity targets are not met. From the tone of their press release it is clear that FGW fully expect that they will be not able to meet those targets.

" Weekly season holders and passengers with walk on or prebooked tickets will not be eligible for an automatic refund. They will have to submit a claim and may only do so where the delay exceeds one hour. FGW knows perfectly well, that few trains are delayed by an hour whereas daily delays of 10 and 30 minutes have come to be seen as 'normal'.

"FGW promise a freeze on fares for 12 months. It beggars belief that they were considering raising fares a second time in 12 months whilst services were so substandard.

"We have a simple demand. The January 2008 fare increases must be reversed until FGW is capable of delivering the service that they promised the Department for Transport when they signed up to the franchise."

I dount anyone is surprised by the response from MTLS.

[Btline]

I think they are right!

It is nonsense- many people will not benefit.

The announcement also implies that delays are ok, if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) refund people!

I hope the Fare Strike goes well for them! I hope the gov listen!

[vacman]

Theres no pleasing MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain), hope loads of them get hammered by the courts when they're done for fare evasion.

[Btline]

What MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) want is a decent service for their money.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (yes, and the Dft and the franchising system etc. etc. blah blah) is not delivering, and then raises fares above inflation!

Then, they offer season ticket holders a discount and hope the fare strike will go away!

My advice to any FGW ticket guard:

stay in your office/cab during the strike. The strike is nothing against you. Let FGW get a grip and deliver.

Getting the strikers in court will not help anyone- least of all FGW!

Gosh, I am glad I will be nowhere near the strike area on the day- it will be chaos!

[Lee]

I agree its a more than welcome gesture that comes at an interesting time with a MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) 'fare strike' due to take place next week.

Ox Rail Action are reviewing their participation in the Fare Strike because of recent FGW^▸ (First Great Western) announcements (quote below) :

Following Oxrail Action's meeting with Andrew Haines last week, First Great Western have publicly recognised they have delivered a poor service and have announced a new compensation deal, including a freeze on season ticket prices.
 
This means that season ticket holders will not face a price increase when they renew during 2008.
 
The full details are available on the First Great Western website and repeated below.
 
OxRail Action is reviewing whether to go ahead with or suspend its planned Fare Strike action at Oxford Station on January 28th. We will be advising you shortly.
 
Thanks for your support so far. However, the battle is far from over. We need to keep the pressure up to ensure that services run on time.
 
OxRail Action

[Timmer]

This is how today's Western Daily Press is reporting FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s annoncement on fares compensation.
http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145786&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231644&home=yes&more_nodeId1=145795&contentPK=19635785

I just love the smug picture of Andrew Haines outside BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) station. Worthy of a small caption competition I think. He's thinking 'Ive got you now MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain). Lets see how much support you get next week now i've doubled the compensation entitlement!' 

[Timmer]

Quite a different take on the story from the Bristol Evening post however:

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=19637321&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

[Lee]

The view from the I Hate First Great Western blog (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2008/01/prices-frozen.html

[tramway]

Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail watchdog Passenger Focus, welcomed First's olive branch.

"This deal is an important step towards rebuilding a link between service quality and price," he said.


Is this the sort of response posters on here want from those who purport to represent travellers officially???

Lets face it the whole affair is a complete shambles, and unless travellers who have no other option actually complain more than just sitting back smugly and being staisfied with the odd ^4 voucher then NOTHING is going to change.

[Lee]

More related article links.
http://thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=133464&command=displayContent&sourceNode=133158&contentPK=19635549&folderPk=78031&pNodeId=133174

http://thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=141507&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232739&home=yes&more_nodeId1=201778&contentPK=19635818

http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=19635785&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=19630221&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

http://thisisbath.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=180730&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232315&home=yes&more_nodeId1=163047&contentPK=19632851

http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news_article.php?section=5&category=89&story=5387

The only article that appears to deviate from the general line is the This Is Devon one, which features the following quotes (which I believe I've heard before) :

Transport minister Tom Harris admitted he still had "very serious cause for concern" about the poor performance of FGW^▸ (First Great Western). He told MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) there was "little good news" to report about the beleaguered firm.

St Ives MP Andrew George complained about recent price rises despite travellers enduring overcrowding and unreliability. It seemed the only sanction available to the Government was "to suspend FGW's franchise".

[jpr_23]

I had the pleasure of renewing my annual season ticket last week. 

The news that this enhanced compensation has arrived is scant consolation for me.  I spoke to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Director of Customer Excellence (what an oxymoron!) this morning, and she confirmed that there is no retrospective discount.

All the delays, and none of the compensation...

[gpn01]

Pretty annoying for those of us who renewed our annual season tickets on 31/12/07 as we didn't benefit from the 10% rebate (which wasn't announced until the New Year I think).