Great Western Coffee Shop

The secretary of the West Wilts Rail Users Group has launched a petition to lobby for free travel for senior citizens (link below.)
http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/display.var.1569084.0.petition_launched_for_free_travel.php

Bob Lee , of Dilton Marsh , has started a petition on the Prime Minister's 10 Downing Street website (link below.)
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/freeseniorsrail

Mr Lee is calling for Government-funded free off-peak rail travel in England for people aged 65 and over.

(Edit required to show correct petition website address , sorry....)

There is an article, with photgraph, on free rail travel for pensioners in Wales in the latest RAIL magazine. It reports that the passenger loadings on the Central Wales line is greater now than it ever has been with pesioners taking advantage of their free travel.

I did a survey as to whether people would use a re-instated appropriate train service from Melksham at the "Part in the Pak" here the other weekend.   About 50% of people had used the train in the past (but few recently) and 50% had not.

All except one person said they WOULD use the train in the future if it was a suitable service.   That one person said "No, I wouldn't, because I have a free bus pass so why should I pay for something".

I support the idea of equal bus and rail treatment for pensioners - i.e. free all around.   But I suspect that the operators in our parts won't go for it as their trains couldn't cope with the crowds.   After all, they are rather tight at times at the moment!

Pensioners using bus passes to travel free on trains have doubled passenger numbers on a rural railway this summer (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/09/free_pensioners_double_passeng.html#more

Trains on the Heart of Wales line ^ from Swansea to Shrewsbury via Ammanford , Llandovery and Llandrindod ^ had to be doubled in length to cope with the influx of people taking free day trips on the scenic line.

Rail managers expected the offer to be popular for the first weeks , but were surprised when passengers continued to pour onto the trains through the rest of the summer , despite the poor weather.

Another pilot brought more passengers to the Conwy Valley line , including some pensioners who were keen to try the train although they refuse to use buses in preference to their cars.

The pilots^ success could leave the Welsh Assembly Government with some hard choices. Extending the concept to other rural areas will require money for extra trains if the additional passengers exceed the spare seats on existing trains.

The two pilots alone are costing the WAG about ^150,000 , to compensate Arriva Trains Wales for fares that would otherwise have been paid and to fund the longer train on the Heart of Wales line.

The pilots were launched on May 20 as an extension of free bus travel , offered to pensioners and disabled people since 2002. Residents of counties directly served by the two railways were eligible. Free Heart of Wales travel was offered to inhabitants of Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Powys but not Neath Port Talbot , which almost touches the route at Ammanford.

There are other examples. Significant infrastructure improvements on the valley lines, with platform alterations, dynamic passing loops (ie a 2 mile section for trains to pass on the move), and 8 Cl150s are arriving shortly to provide a doubling of service on the Merthyr line, and peak capacity enhancements on other lines. Oh yes, I almost forgot, the 18 mile Ebbw Vale line should open in December at last. The locals are complaining that it's been a long time coming, but I'm sure the residents of Portishead wouldn't be if their 3 mile branch was opening before the end of the year.

As someone brought up in Cardiff who was strongly against the idea of a Welsh assembly, I have to say that it has brought a huge improvement in rail travel in the Principality. So, if West Wilts wants free train travel for over 65s, and Portishead wants it's railway back, all they have to do is appply to become a regional outpost of Wales. 

Mind you, I'm in two minds about the free travel thing. Cheap travel , yes, but free travel tends to distort demand, and can result in the type of capacity problems seen on the HOW line.

Now then. Cwm Rhondda and a pint of Brains anyone?

Sorry, but totally against. The trains are allready full enough off peak and it isn't as though we get the same amount of buses a day as Landrdnod Wells!

I'm with you Jim, if you pay for a service and then have to stand all the way because people who were travelling for free had all the seats then would everyone be in favour of such a scheme?

Would be a repeat of the buses sham. NEVER get a seat anymore, even the over60's are forced to the back of the bus!

An extension to free rail travel for pensioners has been announced by the Welsh Assembly Government (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7395928.stm

The scheme will now include the Cambrian Coast line and the Welsh section of the Wrexham to Bidston line.

However, stopping concessions on the Heart of Wales line over the summer because trains were often too full has been called "outrageous".

The extension of the pilot scheme into a second year was launched on the Cambrian coast railway, from Porthmadog to Machynlleth, by transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones.

But Mr Jones also announced summer restrictions on the Heart of Wales line because the rail system struggled to cope last year with trains being too full on some occasions.

Despite additional carriages, some trains were reported as too full to board.

The assembly government said there was a trend of free long-distance tourism travel, in particular to Shrewsbury, whereas the original intention was to help local journeys.

The concession scheme for this route will now run from October and end in April.



OAP SCHEME DETAILS :

Cambrian Coast - free travel all year between Machynlleth and Pwllheli

Welsh section of the Borderlands line - free travel from 18 May from Hawarden Bridge to Wrexham (except early train)

Conwy Valley line - free travel from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno on Arriva Trains Wales

Heart of Wales line - free travel October to April, but not in the summer

One simple word on the WWRUG idea again:



OUTRAGOUS idea, the buses are now stupidly full, along with many trains still. Why is it since they have had free travel on buses, they want it on everything they can. How about a free pass being valid on a Boeing 747 to America?

I'm sorry, but the goverment can't afford the scheme as it is, let alone with trains being added as well!


But Remember, the only reason for it on the lines in Wales, is because they have only a handfull of bus services, generally speaking..

Got to agree qoth Jim, if pensioners were allowed to run free on the railway teh same thing would happen as it did with buses.

Price increases.

Service cuts.

Overcrowded trains off-peak.

Delays as they get on/off.

It is a stupid idea and it will ruin the railways for everyone else.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! most pensioners earn more money than me for starters, if they will insist on free travel for the elderly (bus or train) then it should be means tested.

I was a bit annoyed by the man in the VT (on the BBC News Link that Lee posted) who was moaning that he can only travel for free in the Winter half of the year. Get over it!

But to make matters worse, he then says "why not add an extra carriage and extend my free travel to the summer as well."

Um? Where will said "extra carriage" come from? OK, ATW have been good at hoovering up stock and using it, but they can't perform miracles, and cannot simply magic an extra carriage for every 158 in their fleet for the summer months!

One other point - this scheme will not reduce traffic congestion, as currently, many OAPs do not drive!

On certain lines its a good scheme, but where seats are taken up for old biddies vice fare paying passengers it is a bad scheme.