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Title: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: polonia on January 22, 2008, 14:24:35 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 (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....! Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: devonian on January 22, 2008, 15:23:03 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 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? Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Timmer on January 22, 2008, 18:04:08 Welcome to the forum Polonia. I agree its a more than welcome gesture that comes at an interesting time with a MTLS 'fare strike' due to take place next week. Its good that FGW have backed up saying sorry with this extra discount to season ticket holders, shows they mean it. Its also a good bit of PR from Andrew Haines.
Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Timmer on January 22, 2008, 18:25:24 MTLS have responded to FGW's offer:
http://mtls.org.uk/node/48 Quote 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. Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Btline on January 22, 2008, 18:47:43 I think they are right!
It is nonsense- many people will not benefit. The announcement also implies that delays are ok, if FGW refund people! I hope the Fare Strike goes well for them! I hope the gov listen! Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: vacman on January 22, 2008, 20:42:13 Theres no pleasing MTLS, hope loads of them get hammered by the courts when they're done for fare evasion.
Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Btline on January 22, 2008, 21:44:47 What MTLS want is a decent service for their money.
FGW (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! Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Lee on January 23, 2008, 11:49:44 I agree its a more than welcome gesture that comes at an interesting time with a MTLS 'fare strike' due to take place next week. Ox Rail Action are reviewing their participation in the Fare Strike because of recent FGW announcements (quote below) : Quote 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 Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Timmer on January 23, 2008, 13:56:55 This is how today's Western Daily Press is reporting FGW'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 station. Worthy of a small caption competition I think. He's thinking 'Ive got you now MTLS. Lets see how much support you get next week now i've doubled the compensation entitlement!' ;D Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Timmer on January 23, 2008, 14:01:40 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 Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Lee on January 23, 2008, 16:53:22 The view from the I Hate First Great Western blog (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2008/01/prices-frozen.html Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: tramway on January 23, 2008, 16:56:07 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. Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Lee on January 23, 2008, 18:14:39 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) : Quote Transport minister Tom Harris admitted he still had "very serious cause for concern" about the poor performance of FGW. He told MPs 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". Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: jpr_23 on January 28, 2008, 12:34:18 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 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... Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: gpn01 on January 28, 2008, 12:59:37 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). >:(
Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: John R on January 28, 2008, 19:46:05 But I understand it will last all year, so you will get it if you renew on 31.12.08.
Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: Lee on January 31, 2008, 03:28:22 From Saltash Rail Users Group :
Quote First Great Western, last week announced a doubling on discount on Season ticket renewals until January 2009, as well as a doubling of compensation paid to weekly season and normal ticket holders when a train is over an hour late. An example of the discount currently available is the Saltash to Plymouth route. A monthly season ticket that allows unlimited journeys for 1 calendar month, costs ^33.50. The current Performance figures would normally enforce a 5% discount on renewals, but under this new agreement the discount is doubled to 10%. On expiry of your monthly season ticket, you have up to one month to renew at the discounted price of just ^30.15! If performance worsens then this discount could possibly grow to 20%, but let^s hope it does not. The same applies to child season tickets, they are half the price of the adult tickets, listed above. Weekly season ticket and daily ticket holders will also be entitled to a double amount of compensation, if they are delayed by over an hour. So there is even more of a reason to make that claim. To make your claim write including your ticket (or copy) with details of the delayed journey to Customer Services Team FREEPOST SWB40576 Plymouth PL4 6ZZ Title: Re: Enhanced Compensation - Announcement from Andrew Haines Post by: ruthg on January 31, 2008, 07:57:34 But I understand it will last all year, so you will get it if you renew on 31.12.08. Staff at Bath Spa told me the compensation is valid until 26/01/2009. :) This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. 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 content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |