Cross Country's new Off Peak restrictions causing huge fare hikes

[whole diary]

[old original]

From 2nd Jan Cross Country are extending their restrictions to off peak tickets so that they are not valid until after 09.30am even from Cornwall. Bearing in mind that there are only three XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains anyway it means that from the western half of the county there will be only one available for off peak tickets, that being the 09.40 Penzance - Manchester. If you want to go on the either of the direct trains to the North-East it will be either pay double for an anytime ticket or start splitting tickets.

[JayMac]

Have you a source for this information? Because of the delay in publishing of the new fares manual I can't check and haven't found anything online. CrossCountry do have form in this area having done a similar thing last year with fares from the south coast.

[old original]

Word of mouth from Truro ticket office. The guy in there showed me on the screen of his ticket machine but he did say that they have been told that current fares and restrictions apply on tickets sold up to the 19th Dec even for travel after 2nd Jan., but any ticket sold after 19th would be with the new restrictions. He had spoken to Cross country this morning.

[trainbuff]

I can confirm that Crosscountry are making alterations to some ticket restrictions. this only applies to Walk up fares and NOT advance purchase. However, fares that are set by other TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s will remain unchanged. Therefore if you are travelling from Cornwall to places north of Cheltenham, which could potentially cost a lot more under these new restrictions, I would suggest the most obvious way around this is to buy split tickets. Therefore if you board the train at Penzance, perhaps to Cheltenham and then another ticket from there north. Even if you get the 06.28 it will be 11.12 by the time you reach Cheltenham.

I dont know fully the restrictions yet, so will obviously require some playing about on the internet as I am not sure whether a saver is valid from Penzance to Cheltenham on the 06.28. Perhaps someone could add that here.

Obviously the 08.28 will not present may problems and could also be done in the same manner.

The 09.40, a very busy train as far as Plymouth presents no such problems.

The impact of these changes are much more likely to affect people nearer to Bristol and Cheltenham who travel earlier in the day.

I hope that helps

[old original]

Unfortunately Off peak tickets (SVR?) for travel within FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) area i.e. south of Birmingham aren't valid on the 06.28. Ironically, the first service where SVR's are valid, within FGW's area, is the 08.28

[JayMac]

Penzance/Plymouth (and shacks in between) to Birmingham and beyond will probably need multiple splits for journeys starting early AM.

[JayMac]

Unfortunately Off peak tickets (SVR?) for travel within FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) area i.e. south of Birmingham aren't valid on the 06.28. Ironically, the first service where SVR's are valid, within FGW's area, is the 08.28

That rather depends on the destination. Penzance to Plymouth is at or after 0833 on an Off Peak Single/Return (SVS/SVR).

In fact, on checking nearly all SVS/SVR for journeys from/to stations between Penzance and Cheltenham are valid at or after 0833.

[old original]

I stand corrected - thank you

[Timmer]

How sad that those who need to travel on these restricted services, aren't able to book in advance and who have no knowledge of splitting tickets will end up paying much more. Just another stealth increase in fares on top of what the government allows the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) to do with increases in fares. Nothing new I know just sad thay another plank in the 'walk up railway' for long distance travel being removed.

[old original]

For info... this is the sort of difference we're looking at...
Currently a SVR from Truro to Birmingham which is valid on any train is about ^130, not cheap but.....from 2nd Jan travel before 09.30 and it's about ^280...
 
I think i'll checkout hiring a limo

[Timmer]

Yeah ^280 for the pleasure of sitting in STD on a cramped, noisy, smelly Voyager.

[vacman]

Even now you would do a spilt at Cheltenham so this won't affect too many people but again, the people who we are trying to attract to the railways will be put off! as from the Dec timetable change there is a major loss of capacity on the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) network as they are only using 2x HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s per day as opposed to 4 now!

[Timmer]

from the Dec timetable change there is a major loss of capacity on the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) network as they are only using 2x HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s per day as opposed to 4 now!

They did that last winter didn't they? If they are not going to use their HST for long periods of time then they should hand them over to a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) who will make use of them. That will be East Coast then who are desperate to get their hands on spare HST sets at the moment.

[Btline]

Oh dear, it's about time Arriva handed the keys back I think.

The combination of AXING seats on already busy trains and then introducing eye watering stealth increases is appalling. Someone tell the Daily Mail! Of course, add that to the ludicrous idea of text seat reservations (which I expect has failed and will be quietly axed before long).

[grahame]

Oh dear, it's about time Arriva handed the keys back I think.

The combination of AXING seats on already busy trains and then introducing eye watering stealth increases is appalling.

Of course, they're not the first TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) to do this.  Next weekend is the fifth anniversary of some truley appalling reductions in capacity in the South West with some busy trains axed completely - up to 60% of services gone in certain places - and fare changes a few weeks later that resulted in well used fares that were under 50 pounds for a day return to London increasing to over 100 pounds every day of the week except Saturday.  Times have and are moving on - but let's not forget this as the next franchise comes up for the Greater Western, and look to ensure it can't happen again.