Great Western Coffee Shop

Good evening everyone,

Whilst having a cursory look at the tickets section of the FGW website, I noticed that a number of services from Reading to London Paddington, both fast and stopping, in the evening peak, now don't permit the use of Off Peak tickets. These are:

17:27 semi-fast, Maidenhead only (17:01 from Oxford)
17:33 stopping (16:37 from Oxford)
17:42 stopping (starts at Reading)
17:51 fast (13:03 from Penzance)
17:56 semi-fast, Slough only (15:14 from Hereford)
18:23 fast (17:38 from Bedwyn)
18:33 fast (16:55 from Cardiff Central)
18:33 stopping (17:37 from Oxford)
18:50 stopping (starts at Reading)
18:57 semi-fast, Slough only (18:31 from Oxford)
19:03 fast (16:28 from Swansea)
19:12 fast (18:00 from Bristol TM)
19:18 fast (18:53 from Newbury)
19:33 stopping (18:37 from Oxford)

The questions I would like answered answered are when they were introduced, does their franchise agreement allow them to introduce this so quietly and...what's the point? I commute every day between Reading and Slough and travel into London at least once a month and get my ticket checked probably once a fortnight, if that. It just seems like price increase by stealth to me.

What concerns me the most is the lack of info on the departure boards at Reading stating that a particular service into London does not accept said tickets. I certinaly intend to ask Network Rail and FGW what they're going to do about this.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Kind regards,
Alex

Can you provide a link to this information on the FGW website? I'm struggling to find this list you've given.

There should be no evening peak restrictions inbound from Reading. The operator is not allowed to set any. It would be against their franchise agreement.

The outward portion of a Reading - Paddington Off Peak Return (SVR) is valid on any train after 0930. Restriction code 5B (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/64103.aspx)

The outward portion of a Reading - Paddington Off Peak Day Return (CDR) is valid on any train timed to arrive London Terminals after 1000. Restriction code C7 (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/64332.aspx)

The return portion of a Paddington - Reading Off Peak Return (SVR) is valid on any train after 0930. Restriction code 5K (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/64112.aspx)

The return portion of a Paddington - Reading Off Peak Day Return (CDR) is effectively unrestricted, although you obviously can't return before the validity of the outward portion, which is valid on the 0921 and later from Paddington. There are no afternoon/evening restrictions inbound from Reading. Restriction code J9 (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/64341.aspx)

Any greyed out services on booking engines are an error. A long standing fault that FGW either can't, or can't be bothered to fix.

Thanks for your response Bignosemac. There isn't anything in words on the FGW website, however some services came up as restricted when trying to buy a OPD, leaving Reading around 18:00 on 17/09.

However, I also came across the following conversation over Twitter between FGW and a customer (screenshot attached).

Cheers,
Alex

Grant @FGW is wrong.

Restrictions are governed by the relevant restriction code as I linked to above. Not by what a booking engine may say.

Twitter team have acknowledged its an error. I will be keeping an eye to make sure it does get changed..

Thanks for your help Bignosemac!

Hi all,

Has anything changed on this issue follwing the December timetable change? GWR's Twitter team have suggesting again that there are a number of peak services in the evening into London...

https://twitter.com/furby/status/676788723498004480

Thanks,
Alex

Unlikely - I think they can only be changed during a fares round change. Next is Jan 2nd

 

Yet again the twitter team are wrong. Yet again GWR could be directing people to pay more for their tickets than necessary. Yet again training is lacking. Yet again GWR haven't a sodding clue. Yet again this makes me mad.

Agree totally that this issue really should have been sorted a long time ago, but the Twitter teams (at all the TOC's) do a magnificent job trying to answer a huge range of questions on every conceivable subject promptly, politely and accurately.  It's no wonder the odd mistake creeps in.

Thing is the social media team should be aware of this longstanding issue. It's cropped up enough times, yet still they give out duff advice that could lead to overcharging.

Not unlike Paddington gateline...

Fault lies squarely with management, although frontline staff have to share blame, particularly when we've been told that the issues have been addressed. I have the correspondence which promises that on just this issue with spurious inbound peak from RDG. FGW said they couldn't fix bug, but would inform all staff likely to be asked about it - including the social media team.

I do understand your point - a sizeable part of the blame lies with the raft of silly and confusing restrictions that do exist.  Although this one doesn't exist it sounds like just the sort of thing that might!

I'm always rolling my eyes when Barry Doe points out errors in information and grammar within various railway publications and websites in his RAIL column, only to read next issue when he corrects himself for an error he's made.