Fare changes this month?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=5239

Will there be a change in fare prices in May?

Not on this route.

So are there any fares on other routes changing this month?

[bobm]

I know XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) are changing the time off peak returns are available on the Bournemouth to Manchester run via Reading. At the moment it is from start of service but it's changing to 09:30.

[ChrisB]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) did give the Customer Panel a Fares Update, but I think it's in the office. I'll post tomorrow with any changes.

[JayMac]

Most changes in May and September are of the stealthy type, whereby restrictions are changed. Of course TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are free to change unregulated fares (1st Class, Advance etc) as they choose, but there shouldn't be any changes to regulated fares except where errors and anomalies are being corrected following the January changes.

[ChrisB]

Indeed, no regulated fares are changing

[grahame]

Thanks for the feedback so far.  ChrisB - yes, please do post any unregulated changes that may make a difference.  By what I'm seeing, it's likely to be odd things here and there (BignoseMac's "stealth" changes) which can however make a big difference, and as they're just here and there, a list of what is changing is much more useful than a list of what isn't 

[grahame]

I know XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) are changing the time off peak returns are available on the Bournemouth to Manchester run via Reading. At the moment it is from start of service but it's changing to 09:30.

Yep ... 07:30, Bournemouth to Manchester, back at lunchtime a few days later. This month - 102.90 (offpeak), next month - 208.00 (anytime).  That hurts!

[bobm]

Or book to Preston (^111.50) and travel short.

[JayMac]

Or travel 0726 via Waterloo, then from Euston at 1020 and arrive 1228, 11 minutes before the direct 0730 CrossCountry. Off Peak Return fare ^104.40.

Good chance of making the 1000 off Euston with a swift cross London tube journey, arriving Manchester 1207.

Return xx35 or xx55 throughout the day. Or zero excess change of route and come back with CrossCouintry from 1027 onward.

There are so many workarounds to CrossCountry's new 0930 restriction from the South Coast that I fear they've shot themselves in the foot and will be losing passengers to other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company), or seeing an increase in split ticketing.

Their rationale for the new restriction is because of overcrowding on parts of the route. That overcrowding is caused mostly by short distance passengers and it appears that XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) have decided to fleece their long distance passengers - mainly because they have no control over the fares on many of those shorter distance journeys. Fares that are, in the main, set by other TOCs.


I've just checked a few long distance flows on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to see if there is any change in the prices of Advance Purchase. No changes as far as I can see for Standard Class, but my random sampling was in no way scientific as you cannot search historic AP fares for a given past date and time. All I can say for definite is the lowest and highest APs remain the same. To check those in between I'd need the new fares manual and I ain't got a copy yet.....    

First Class appears to have a higher cheapest possible Advance on the flows I checked (one example: BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) current potential cheapest ^19. From 22nd May ^25). Of course, there's no way to check whether the quotas for each price point on Advance Purchase are changing. That's another stealthy way to increase revenue. The yield management strategy of TOCs is almost a state secret!

[ChrisB]

Pricing Changes

New flows (because the 'Any Permitted' fares have transferred to Virgin allowing travel via Crewe.....)

Shropshire fares (around Church Streeton) to Gatwick Area (Reigate, Redhill etc) added "via Hereford"

CDS^▸ (Off Peak Day Single [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) off-peak singles added to fares in Bristol area where CDRs^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) only exist currently

Some LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) fares to Boundary zones reduced to address anomalies

Some CDR/CDS fares in Devon & Cornwall reduced so that they all priced below local Day Ranger fares.

Restriction Changes

Exeter to Goring & Stratley (and surrounding) on Route "Reading Not London" changed from WO restriction to LC^▸ (Level Crossing)/YC (SVR/SVS/FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail)) and from 2W to XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))/YU (SSR/SSS) to reflect validity via Reading.

I don't know those codes but I suspect its a tightening.

Some flows from Marlow Branch see CDR/CDS restrictiobns change to incorporate the easement allowing travel on 0837 ex-Marlow.

CDR/CDS from Burnham, Slough, Langley & Iver changed to allow travel on the 0914 from Slough -> PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains). This train arrives PAD prior to 1000. Travel from Windsor & Eton is not permitted to catch this train.

Salisbury to Cosham & all points east to Portsmouth & Brighton - now allowed from 0830.

Swindon - Kemble CDR/CDS now valid from 0845.

Other Changes
We already know about Weekend First only being available on-train.

The demise of Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) Extension Permits

Structure change to Isles of Scilly Packages
A short stay (via Helicopter only - up to 4 days) and long-stay (via any of 3 routes, up to 1 month)
Now allowed to use XC as well as FGW^▸ (First Great Western) where they share routes (BAN - Basingstoke, Gloucester-PNZ). Prices available also now from Birmingham Stations and a lot more than the current 13 FGW stations. Rail portion NOT train-specific (but onward to Scillies is transport-time-specific). 1sty class train now available with all types on onward transport.

[JayMac]

Thanks for that ChrisB (and by extension, thanks to your source. F&I dept. at Swindon perchance?  )

Nothing too serious there except the Exeter example (and I assume services from surrounding stations in Devon). Indeed a tightening. The outward validities on the Off Peaks and Super Off Peaks appears unchanged, but the returns will be subject to evening restrictions out of Reading. The SVR, for example, being barred off Reading between 1710 and 1859.

I wonder whether a similar adjustment to that in Devon & Cornwall to CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) fares in the Bristol area on flows to/from Weymouth, will be implemented. Many of those are priced above the Heart of Wessex Day Ranger.

[ChrisB]

I can take that suggestion forward....

[JayMac]

Let's leave that one eh? Give F&I something to do come September. 

[ChrisB]

Oh yes, it's too late for this round now!

[devon_metro]

Or travel 0726 via Waterloo, then from Euston at 1020 and arrive 1228, 11 minutes before the direct 0730 CrossCountry. Off Peak Return fare ^104.40.

Good chance of making the 1000 off Euston with a swift cross London tube journey, arriving Manchester 1207.

Return xx35 or xx55 throughout the day. Or zero excess change of route and come back with CrossCouintry from 1027 onward.

There are so many workarounds to CrossCountry's new 0930 restriction from the South Coast that I fear they've shot themselves in the foot and will be losing passengers to other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company), or seeing an increase in split ticketing.

Their rationale for the new restriction is because of overcrowding on parts of the route. That overcrowding is caused mostly by short distance passengers and it appears that XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) have decided to fleece their long distance passengers - mainly because they have no control over the fares on many of those shorter distance journeys. Fares that are, in the main, set by other TOCs.


I've just checked a few long distance flows on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to see if there is any change in the prices of Advance Purchase. No changes as far as I can see for Standard Class, but my random sampling was in no way scientific as you cannot search historic AP fares for a given past date and time. All I can say for definite is the lowest and highest APs remain the same. To check those in between I'd need the new fares manual and I ain't got a copy yet.....    

First Class appears to have a higher cheapest possible Advance on the flows I checked (one example: BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) current potential cheapest ^19. From 22nd May ^25). Of course, there's no way to check whether the quotas for each price point on Advance Purchase are changing. That's another stealthy way to increase revenue. The yield management strategy of TOCs is almost a state secret!

First Class AP fares rte GREAT WESTN ONLY:
^48.00
^40.50
^32.50
^25.00

Cheapest Standard Class:
^10.00 (no change I believe)