Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 20:15 28 Mar 2024
* Easter getaways hit by travel disruption
- Where Baltimore bridge investigation goes now
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
- Passengers pleaded with knifeman during attack
- Family anger at sentence on fatal crash driver, 19
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1988)
Woman found murdered on Orpington to London train (*)

Train RunningCancelled
18:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
19:23 Reading to Gatwick Airport
19:33 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill
19:35 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
19:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
19:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
20:16 Frome to Westbury
20:20 Reading to Shalford
20:49 Newbury to Bedwyn
20:54 Reading to Gatwick Airport
20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington
21:16 Bedwyn to Newbury
21:16 Westbury to Swindon
21:30 Shalford to Reading
21:53 Newbury to Bedwyn
22:25 Bedwyn to Newbury
22:30 Gatwick Airport to Reading
22:30 Swindon to Westbury
22:47 Newbury to Bedwyn
Short Run
16:03 London Paddington to Penzance
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
16:35 London Paddington to Plymouth
16:50 Plymouth to London Paddington
17:03 London Paddington to Penzance
17:30 London Paddington to Taunton
17:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
18:03 London Paddington to Penzance
18:54 Reading to Gatwick Airport
18:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
19:04 Paignton to London Paddington
19:06 London Paddington to Bedwyn
19:13 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
19:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
20:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
20:11 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
20:42 Bedwyn to London Paddington
21:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
Delayed
16:15 Penzance to London Paddington
Additional 17:17 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
Additional 17:26 Castle Cary to Penzance
19:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 19:40 Redhill to Reading
19:54 Reading to Gatwick Airport
23:04 Reading to Bedwyn
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 20:23:09 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[118] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[116] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[89] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[46] Return of the BRUTE?
[38] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[28] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: And the best of luck to the Williams Fares Review…  (Read 6151 times)
Robin Summerhill
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1145


View Profile Email
« on: August 10, 2019, 15:35:50 »

Yesterday I was having a conversation with our local bus driver who said she was thinking of going to London for the first time in over 30 years. She looked into going by train and I quote: “but they wanted over £150 a ticket so we’re now thinking of going by National Express”

As it’s blowing a gale today, keeps on raining and I am therefore “confined to barracks,” I thought I’d look in to the matter more deeply. We are talking here about no more than a simple day trip from Chippenham to Paddington; other simple day trips from other stations are available:

Anytime return with LT Travelcard £184.70
Anytime return to Paddington only £178.00

Off Peak return with LT Travelcard £79.30
Off Peak return to Paddington only £74.60
Off peak tickets – first available up train 0855 departure, no return between 1640 and 1831

Super Off Peak with LT Travelcard £60.60
Super Off Peak to Paddington only £55.90
Super Off peak tickets – first available up train 1025, no return between 1501 and 1901

Save some money and split at Didcot? (combined fares shown)
Anytime with LT Travelcard £128.30 - saving £56.40 on the cost of a through ticket (to Paddington only is the same)
Anytime to Paddington only £121.60 

Off Peak return with LT Travelcard £64.70 - saving £14.60 on the cost of a through ticket
Off Peak return to Paddington only £60.00
Different Off Peak restrictions now apply to the Didcot to Paddington leg – now no return between 1559 and 1901

Super Off Peak with LT Travelcard £55.90 - saving £11.20 on the cost of a through ticket
Super Off Peak to Paddington only £49.40
Super off peak only applies to the Chippenham to Didcot leg (it’s actually an off peak day return, not a super off peak) so restrictions are the same as for Off Peak tickets.

Just to further complicate the issue, they could buy a Two Together Railcard for £30.00 (essentially £15 each) and get a one third discount on the above prices (off peak and super off peak only, not anytime). So buying any ticket where one third is more than £15.00 will save money. And that would be all of them…

If I give her a copy of this post the next time I see her, do you think that her head might explode?
Logged
CMRail
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 400


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2019, 15:45:41 »

Yesterday I was having a conversation with our local bus driver who said she was thinking of going to London for the first time in over 30 years. She looked into going by train and I quote: “but they wanted over £150 a ticket so we’re now thinking of going by National Express”

As it’s blowing a gale today, keeps on raining and I am therefore “confined to barracks,” I thought I’d look in to the matter more deeply. We are talking here about no more than a simple day trip from Chippenham to Paddington; other simple day trips from other stations are available:

Anytime return with LT Travelcard £184.70
Anytime return to Paddington only £178.00

Off Peak return with LT Travelcard £79.30
Off Peak return to Paddington only £74.60
Off peak tickets – first available up train 0855 departure, no return between 1640 and 1831

Super Off Peak with LT Travelcard £60.60
Super Off Peak to Paddington only £55.90
Super Off peak tickets – first available up train 1025, no return between 1501 and 1901

Save some money and split at Didcot? (combined fares shown)
Anytime with LT Travelcard £128.30 - saving £56.40 on the cost of a through ticket (to Paddington only is the same)
Anytime to Paddington only £121.60 

Off Peak return with LT Travelcard £64.70 - saving £14.60 on the cost of a through ticket
Off Peak return to Paddington only £60.00
Different Off Peak restrictions now apply to the Didcot to Paddington leg – now no return between 1559 and 1901

Super Off Peak with LT Travelcard £55.90 - saving £11.20 on the cost of a through ticket
Super Off Peak to Paddington only £49.40
Super off peak only applies to the Chippenham to Didcot leg (it’s actually an off peak day return, not a super off peak) so restrictions are the same as for Off Peak tickets.

Just to further complicate the issue, they could buy a Two Together Railcard for £30.00 (essentially £15 each) and get a one third discount on the above prices (off peak and super off peak only, not anytime). So buying any ticket where one third is more than £15.00 will save money. And that would be all of them…

If I give her a copy of this post the next time I see her, do you think that her head might explode?


Short answer: Yes.
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2019, 16:07:48 »

If I give her a copy of this post the next time I see her, do you think that her head might explode?

You could - but you're simplifying it.  Please have an expert check this before you use it

The £178 peak return is any train ... £121.60 any train that calls at Didcot.  But if you want to go up peak and back peak, same day, on a train that does not call at Didcot, I think the lowest available fare is £109.10.
* Chippenham to Didcot single, anytime, £27.50
* Didcot to Cholsey weekly season, £18.00
* Cholsey to Paddington, anytime day return, £49.20
* Didcot to Chippenham super off peak single, £14.40 (morning only peak restriction)

Using National Condition of Travel para 14.2:
Quote
If you are using a Season Ticket, daily Zonal Ticket, or another area based Ticket such as a concessionary pass, ranger or rover in conjunction with another Ticket and the last station at which one Ticket is valid and the first station that the other Ticket is valid are the same, then the train does not need to call at that station for your combination to be valid.

Then you need to consider if it' better to buy two singles if headed up and back in different time zones (e.g. up anytime, back off peak).  See http://www.mrug.org.uk/londonfares.html (and I have just noticed that Melksham is a pound cheaper than Chippenham on anytime return!)



I do look forward to the day that you can simply tell a system or person what your travel plans are and have them offer you the lowest cost option. Many people get put off by this being a bit complicated!
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
didcotdean
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1424


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2019, 16:52:27 »

A straightforward Anytime Day Return for Didcot to Paddington is £66.60, slightly cheaper now than splitting at Cholsey, at least for one journey in a week. Although then you are back to needing to be on a service stopping at Didcot.
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2019, 17:35:57 »

A straightforward Anytime Day Return for Didcot to Paddington is £66.60, slightly cheaper now than splitting at Cholsey, at least for one journey in a week. Although then you are back to needing to be on a service stopping at Didcot.

Indeed.   The season to Cholsey was included to give maximum day return flexibility - roughly a pound cheaper if you take Cholsey Season out, and force users only onto Didcot-calling trains.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Robin Summerhill
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1145


View Profile Email
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2019, 20:07:35 »

Quote from: grahame
Quote from: Robin Summerhill
If I give her a copy of this post the next time I see her, do you think that her head might explode?

You could - but you're simplifying it. 

 Grin Grin

The origin of this bit of research was a conversation with someone who had not been to London for 30 years and probably has not been on a train in all that time either.

The research, when including tickets with and without travelcards, with or without a railcard and the option of splitting at Didcot, threw up 20 different fare options ranging from £184.70 down to £32.60 (plus £15 for half a railcard!) .

Given that the potential "audience" for this research knows nothing about railway fares and/or indeed perhaps how to use a train, I think arcane issues like throwing a Didcot to Cholsey season into the mix would be a severe case of overkill!



Quote from: grahame
I do look forward to the day that you can simply tell a system or person what your travel plans are and have them offer you the lowest cost option. Many people get put off by this being a bit complicated!

I think that this research certainly implies that that day is so far off railways would have ceased to exist before it arrives!

There is no way on this earth that a range of fares so wide as that could be simplified in such a way that would keep everybody happy. And that range of fares is, as I said earlier, on a very very ordinary day trip from Chippenham to Paddington. There are 2562 other stations on the network, many if not most of them with equally extreme ranges of fares and conditions that apply to those fares. You do the sums Smiley

As the old saying goes "the impossible we do at once. Miracles take a little longer" Wink
« Last Edit: August 10, 2019, 20:15:30 by Robin Summerhill » Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2019, 20:28:32 »

There are 2562 other stations on the network, many if not most of them with equally extreme ranges of fares and conditions that apply to those fares. You do the sums Smiley

Quote
>>> vv = 0
>>> for k in range(2561): vv += k
...
>>> print(vv)
3278080
>>>

OK - so over 3 million possible journeys - 6 million if you look in both directions.  I note you said "other" stations - so should I have used a number that was one or two more, or does your 2562 include IBM and Berney Arms which are service suspended?  Minor adjustments also needed (we have some pedants here) for stations between which there are no fares - St Budeaux Victoria Road to St Budeaux Ferry Road, Catford to Catford Bridge, Heath High Level to Heath Low Level, etc
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Robin Summerhill
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1145


View Profile Email
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2019, 20:38:36 »

There are 2562 other stations on the network, many if not most of them with equally extreme ranges of fares and conditions that apply to those fares. You do the sums Smiley

Quote
>>> vv = 0
>>> for k in range(2561): vv += k
...
>>> print(vv)
3278080
>>>

OK - so over 3 million possible journeys - 6 million if you look in both directions.  I note you said "other" stations - so should I have used a number that was one or two more, or does your 2562 include IBM and Berney Arms which are service suspended?  Minor adjustments also needed (we have some pedants here) for stations between which there are no fares - St Budeaux Victoria Road to St Budeaux Ferry Road, Catford to Catford Bridge, Heath High Level to Heath Low Level, etc


And there I was about to make a gag along the lines of "is there a pedant's revolt then? Oh no - I'm thinking of Wat Tyler..."

Then I remembered that that peasant's revolt was to do with a poll tax. And as others have said before me, if we're not careful this fares review is going to turn out to be a poll tax on wheels.

But in direct answer to your question, I do believe that the figure of 2563 includes the lot, including stations where there is no available fare between the two. So take out as many as you like for the pedants, but you still end up with a whopping great big number!
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2020, 06:50:28 »

... or does your 2562 include IBM and Berney Arms which are service suspended?  ...

Berney Arms re-opens on Monday - https://www.facebook.com/wherrylines/posts/2692448894202666
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page