What started this train of thought: first class pricing. In particular, the discovery that a first class single Penzance to St Erth is now £10:00, which compares with standard single £3:70, so has something in the fares system come completely unmoored with this one? At one time do I recall that first class was priced at standard class plus 50%?
The £10 figure leapt off the page for me because in July 2018, for *reasons* - we already had 1st class advance tickets from St Erth up country - I did actually buy a couple of 1st class singles from Penzance to St Erth and don't recall they were anything like as disproportionate in price. (To the credit of the train crew, they also checked first class and came round with coffee the moment the train left the station).
Checking the figure, and landing on a page from the national rail site introducing first class, the pulled quote struck me.
"If you’re travelling for business, First Class gives you space to work and focus. If you’re travelling for leisure, you can relax and arrive rested and ready to enjoy your destination." - from
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/on-the-train/first-class/It struck me because of the shade the quote throws on standard class rail travel. It could be said that many
DfT» -mandated train interiors are not even delivering this in first, let alone standard class, and rail travel, especially long distance, for the majority of the time should deliver an environment where its possible to get work done and/or relax.
Then... the language "First Class", "Standard Class". At the time the railways renamed second class to 'Standard' they really really also should have renamed first class. And then, first class is a bit like a certain referendum in that it's not defined, so the provision differs widely between train operating companies and routes - and that the DfT will currently have its sights on the lot. It's actually fair enough that it's not defined... well, fair enough until we return to the likes of that £10 PNZ - SER fare.
But this put me in mind of last autumn's trip to West Yorkshire, and a choice of driving or rail, when the opportunity of returning via London but an advance ticket on crosscountry influenced the decision and for the return, an advance 1st ticket with
LNER» as far as Kings Cross was the dealmaker.
Hence, the experience of travelling out of Bradford Forster Square in an
IEP▸ on a bright autumn morning and while the train was fully staffed only from Leeds, this part of the journey raised the tone of the entirety of the out and back trip. It was also an opportunity to see the effectiveness with which LNER is selling its first class seats - few passengers from Bradford but thereafter the train was well-occupied thoughout with first and standard 70% - 90% full from Leeds and first with a mixture of all ages too including people with children. The final part of the journey from Paddington was an opportunity for a quick glance at
GWR▸ 's first class and a reflection on the contrasting occupancy level and activity compared with the train into Kings Cross - industry structures mean that LNER have a far freer hand in terms of provision and marketing than does GWR.
And then... visits to Chester, Runcorn, Manchester... and TfW's first class, which given their various issues with trains, is struggling against adversity. Another reason it must struggle is that the ticketing systems aren't good at pricing through ticketing where these trains are used as part of a longer journey and the best option seems to be "Buy an upgrade on the train" - or rather, not, see below. One booked train and another two potentials were no show, so that's three out of four. Actually, 'Substitutions' is a better word than 'No show', though I'm strongly suspecting that substituting a packed to the rafters 2 carriage 153 for a logo and coaches was responsible for one of the party subsequently being on antibiotics for three weeks to fight of a non-covid chest infection.
Finally, first class upgrades. Trying to recall if it was once the case that it was routine to have a ticket excessed for 1st class travel, at a cost of the difference between standard and first - something that in any case might or might not be handled well by TfW's systems, depending on whether things are set up to offer the upgrade on the basis of e.g. Newport to Chester, for a passenger with a through ticket from say Bath to Warrington - a Bath to Warrington 1st class anytime return is £477:10 if the fare and route is Crosscountry, but £90:30 *standard* return via Hereford with TfW - and no first class through fares available. How to calculate the excess for a Bath Spa to Warrington passenger travelling on a standard class through ticket via Hereford for which they've paid £90:30? The price of a first class return from Newport to Chester being £113.80, the answer is presumably not the difference between the two.
Apologies to anyone who has read this increasingly stream-of-consciousness post, it needs distillation.
Mark
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