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Author Topic: January Rail Fare Increase 3.1%  (Read 1766 times)
Timmer
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« on: November 30, 2018, 08:35:53 »

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/rail-train-fares-passengers-increase-31-regulated-anytime-off-peak-great-western-railway-a8660221.html

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At the end of the worst year for rail disruption in a decade, commuters in England and Wales will start the New Year paying 3.1 per cent more for train tickets – without any certainty that services will improve. Train fares will rise from 2 January 2019 fractionally less than the July 2018 calculation of the Retail Price Index (RPI (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context))), which was 3.2 per cent. This largely discredited measure of inflation is used to specify the increase in “regulated” rail fares. These are season tickets in the London area, Anytime tickets around major cities and many Off-Peak return tickets on long-distance journeys.
Continues...
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ray951
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« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2018, 09:17:56 »

Well I won't see any rise as I don't have a London season ticket and I don't live in a major city or is that just a poor piece of journalism.

More seriously I heard the RDG(resolve) man on the radio this morning trying to explain/defend the rise, shame the the organ grinder was sent and not the monkey.
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Timmer
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« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2018, 09:20:16 »

More seriously I heard the RDG(resolve) man on the radio this morning trying to explain/defend the rise, shame the the organ grinder was sent and not the monkey.
And say the same thing every year.
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SandTEngineer
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« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2018, 09:22:52 »

....and now (from the Daily Mail)....

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First, strikes... now rail fare rises: Transport Secretary Chris Grayling blames union pay demands as train companies reveal New Year increases

Train fares are set to be increased today, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling (seen today) blaming the union demands for inflation-busting pay rises for rail staff

Train fares are set to be increased today, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling (seen today) blaming the union demands for inflation-busting pay rises for rail staff

Train fares are set to be increased today, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling blaming the union demands for inflation-busting pay rises for rail staff.

The rail industry will announce how much ‘unregulated’ fares, such as advance and first-class tickets, will go up by in January.

The new prices, to be introduced on websites including National Rail Enquiries from 7am, will provoke anger among commuters, who have endured years of fare rises, strikes and deteriorating service.

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies and Network Rail, will also reveal how much the average train fare will go up by.

This includes both unregulated fares, which are set by train operators, and regulated fares such as season tickets for commuters which are set by the Government in line with July’s Retail Prices Index measure of inflation.

Passengers have already been told that the cost of regulated fares will rise by up to 3.2 per cent in January, adding hundreds of pounds to the cost of many season tickets. The overall average price hike is market sensitive and was not disclosed last night.

The prospect of more increases has reopened a row between the Government and union bosses, who continue to demand steep pay rises for their members.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, which has orchestrated crippling strikes across the country, is refusing to ditch the higher measure of RPI (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) of inflation as a starting point for pay negotiations, despite the fact it has been widely discredited.

In August, Mr Grayling urged unions to switch to the official CPI measure of inflation, but union bosses have refused to negotiate and instead threatened to stage more protests if pay curbs are imposed.

Huw Merriman, a Tory MP (Member of Parliament) and member of the Commons transport committee, said last night: ‘It cannot be right that the rail unions receive a higher wage based on RPI when most passengers, who fund these pay deals, only get pay rises using the lower CPI.

‘If the unions are really serious about limiting fare rises, they should accept the same method for setting pay which their passengers are limited to, rather than threatening more strike misery.’  An insult to train passengers: On the day Network Rail is savaged for worst punctuality in 15 years, ex-boss gets a CBE (and insists on no publicity)

...and just to add to it all....

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Network Rail boss used to earn £820,000 a year as boss of infrastructure firm
There were fury among passengers when he was awarded a CBE this year


He picked up the award at the Palace today but asked that he not be pictured 

The former boss of Network Rail was honoured at Buckingham Palace yesterday – on the day the firm was rebuked for failing to deliver a ‘punctual and reliable’ service.

Mark Carne received a CBE from Prince William only two hours after the industry regulator savaged Network Rail for ‘systemic’ failings and issued an order for it to improve ‘urgently’.

Mr Carne, who took early retirement from his £820,000-a-year job in July, collected his honour under a self-imposed media blackout – refusing to allow pictures of his big moment to be made public.

Labour MP John Mann said: ‘It’s no wonder Mr Carne is so embarrassed about receiving this award.

‘Commuters will be shaking their heads, as will staff in the rail industry. They are fed up of the chaos and bad management.

‘Passengers will have been expecting this award to have been cancelled like so many of their trains
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2018, 09:25:43 »

More seriously I heard the RDG(resolve) man on the radio this morning trying to explain/defend the rise, shame the the organ grinder was sent and not the monkey.
And say the same thing every year.

So where is the interim outcome report from the RDG consultation that was (I seem to recall) promised on quite a short time scale.   Or is in yet another of those promises that turns to a target and then an aspiration which isn't achieved but would have been nice (and kept the natives quiet for another season!)
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JayMac
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« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2018, 09:31:38 »

I predict there will be a sweetener from the Government. Possibly as a 'good news' story to deflect from the ongoing Brexit omnishambles.
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grahame
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« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2018, 10:55:22 »

I predict there will be a sweetener from the Government. Possibly as a 'good news' story to deflect from the ongoing Brexit omnishambles.

Maybe - but tickets already on sale at new prices for 2019 on the GWR (Great Western Railway) site. examples at http://gwr.passenger.chat/20771
« Last Edit: November 30, 2018, 11:01:51 by grahame » Logged

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« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2018, 11:27:07 »


I'm actually off to renew mine tomorrow (assuming the ticket office is open and its not the particular customer service person who does all they can to persuade you to come back later).

Hopefully the 10% discount means its only slightly above £4K but I'm still not really noticing the improvements referred to each year.
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« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2018, 15:24:52 »

Does anyone know if you might get ‘double discounts’ on season tickets next year?  If GWR (Great Western Railway) implement Delay Repay after you’ve renewed with a 10% discount do you have to wait until you renew next time to claim under Delay Repay?

If not it could be a good year to hold seasons!
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« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2018, 16:49:45 »

House of Commons briefing paper Number SN06384, 30 November 2018 on rail fares

Had trouble with original link so mirrored [[here]]
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« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2018, 14:36:35 »

Ticket office closed so couldn't renew despite it being 3 hours before the published closing time. This now means a very public argument at 6.30am on Monday when the initial response will be to ask me to come back later.

On a wider point I still find it amazing how poor GWR (Great Western Railway)'s season ticket process is for something that must be a large part of their income in some areas at least. I can only renew at my 'home' station or lose my discount and last year much of the process involved writing down in ring-binders.

I know much of our ire is on the track infrastructure and trains but the back office stuff which I assume is fully under GWR's control could do with some improvement as well. I'm guessing that with a regular income stream and guaranteed annual rises they're not feeling much incentive?
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« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2018, 18:19:19 »

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I predict there will be a sweetener from the Government. Possibly as a 'good news' story to deflect from the ongoing Brexit omnishambles.

Would this be the rumoured off-loading of the chair of Cross Rail and HS2 (The next High Speed line(s))?
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