Great Western Coffee Shop

This from The Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/5200726/Train-companies-condemned-as-passengers-face-scandalous-price-rises.html

Does anyone know what if any fare increases are planned by FGW other than Weekend First?

Also worth noting that Railcards are going up:
^24 -> ^26
Network
^20 -> ^25

Minimum fares also to increase.

All Line Rail Rovers are also increasing from this May, though this is the first increase for several years.

I have done a brief summary on the blog: http://www.iworkforfgw.com/railblog/

Yeh.

Taking a National Express example:

Kings Cross - Edinburgh
Current SVR ^168
May SVR ^171.40

This isn't good in a credit crunch. >:(

System at fault!

As Ollie states, Devon & Cornwall local fares going up by about 10p. Second rise in a year. Disgraceful.

I went to Penzance on Tuesday, I find the off peak day return fare from Newton Abbot with a railcard to be quite good value at ^9.55.

The new prices are already showing on the NXEC website, I note Newton Abbot to Paddington off peak return will be ^69.  This is an increase of ^20 in the cheapest walk-on fare in less than 3.5 years.

FGW fares  going up on average 3%, twice in one sodding year!

They are keeping it very quiet. They, like most TOCs were fairly open about the last round of increases that took place in January.

Looking through the avantix it seems some local fares go up by around 10p but some don't go up at all

Really useful info regards new fares from May and the new Weekend First structure, thanks Ollie.

Looks like it's only really CDRs that are effected. Still, that 50p extra per week potentially.

Let's be fair.  In 2006, FGW reduced the price of Cheap Day Returns throughout Devon & Cornwall. Funnily enough, people like me and the North Devon Rail Users' Group were simply campaigning to lower the Barnstaple - Exeter Cheap Day Return.  The decrease in fares has helped lead to big increases in passenger numbers. = I'll post the here next week.

Given the 2006 reduction, I don't think another 10 or 20p on Devon & Cornwall fares will make any difference.

Richard Burningham,
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership

A fair comment, however Devon & Cornwall is hardly the best paid area!

whats a svr
you cant mean saver return
as saver returns arent THAT expensive
its off peak return now

and no im not trying to critcise you
id just like to know what a svr is

That does mean Off Peak Return ;D

When they changed the ticket names, they didn't change any of the ticket codes. For example:

Off Peak Day Return ticket which used to be Cheap Day Return, still uses the same code CDR

Same as a Standard Off Peak Return still uses SVR as the ticketing code :-\

Hope that explains it ;D

it does

and hang on how is it that expensive

i went to newcastle recently and it was with a railcard around 68 and without about 110

how is edinburgh so much more expensive

it cant be that much futher

Bearing in mind it's over 100 Miles...!

If you buy a Return to Bristol, It's cheaper than a Return to Bath Spa. Which is logical... But when you go via Westbury which is a valid route... It becomes more expensive, for a shorter distance journey...! I can't work that out myself...

Equally I bought a First Class Off Peak return from Taunton - Bristol Parkway yesterday, which is the same price as Bristol Temple Meads, yet it's further up the line...!

Same as Bristol Parkway - Chippenham, Same price from Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Temple Meads! ;D I worked that out for travelling to evening classes after college once a week ;D

yes stupid fares

just like a off peak return and off peak single are about 30 pence difference sometimes!!

anyone ever wondered what the companies are smoking when you see fares such as single 50.20 and return 50.40 ?

Clearly they are that expensive...!

As talked about in another thread, the TOCs expect you to book in advance if you want to travel at an affordable price now.

I think that's what's called a gross - and pretty inaccurate - generalisation - I don't think anyone could seriously call many FGW walk-up off-peak fares unaffordable, especially not if you are in an area where a railcard can be used as well - eg Network Card area, Devon & Cornwall, Cotswold Line. I consider my ^5.30 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford CDR on a Cotswold Railcard excellent value, it's less than petrol would cost alone, never mind putting another 60 miles on the clock on the car if I did drive - and less than i was paying last year, thanks to a fare cut in January, one of quite a number in the Thames Valley and Cotswolds, following up those in the South West mentioned previously.

That's not to say that some peak fares are value for money, nor can it be denied that there are lots of anomalies about, but that's been the case ever since they stopped charging by distance travelled.

CDR Oxford to Bristol ^17.80, or ^11.75 with railcard. Absolute bargain - try travelling by car city centre to city centre and parking for that!

And, incidentally, it's almost impossible to beat the CDR fare for that journey using a combination of Advance fares  ;)

The off-peak return fare back to the parents' in west Wales (^47.50 with railcard, but I still wouldn't baulk at ^73.00 without) also offers total flexibility for a journey of some 200 miles each way and again, in my book represents good value.

Sorry, I was not clear I was referring to intercity fares to and from London.  As I said in another thread I find the Devon & Cornwall off peak day returns very good value.