Rail passengers baffled by train tickets. (Daily Telegraph 20/09/2011)

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

This already happens in London where fares policy is controlled by TfL^» (Transport for London - about), a part of the Greater London Authority.

Who gain the fares, just like the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). So TfL isn't independent, is it?

[JayMac]

Independent of the operators, yes.

[ChrisB]

But TfL^» (Transport for London - about) operate the underground, no? And set the fares?

[JayMac]

Granted for the tube, but other parts of London's public transport; Overground, Docklands Light Railway, London Tramlink and Buses are operated by private sector franchisees whilst their fares policies are controlled and coordinated by TfL^» (Transport for London - about).

[eightf48544]

Bignosemac rightly points out TFL^▸ (Transport for London) set all public transport fares within the Zonal area plus some extra outside Zone 6. Bus, underground, overground, TOCS with stations within fare zones, DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway), Tramlink. Plus some of the ferries although  these are outside the Zonal structure.

They don't set Heathrow Express and Connect from Hayes to LHR, although they do the LT buses and Piccadilly fares.

They also run Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) although I believe all of the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) have not yet joined and installed readers at their Zonal Stations. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has as far as West Drayton.

If you change at West Drayton or Hayes and then go via Ealing Broadway and avoid Zone 1 you can get across London for less than ^2, but it takes all day.

So whether they are truely independant is arguable but being the overall body they have produced a consistent structure for fares and have provided for mixed mode journies at just the Zonal fare.

Zonal fares with a Travelcard/Oyster is a fine invention and should be copied in all large conurbations, West Midalnds, Greater MAnchester etc, in fact anywhere with multi mode public transport.

[ChrisB]

There *are* zonal fares in the West Midlands!

[paul7575]

They also run Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) although I believe all of the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) have not yet joined and installed readers at their Zonal Stations. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has as far as West Drayton.

That is approaching two years out of date now I'm afraid.

All the relevant TOCs had 'joined Oyster PAYG^▸ (Pay as you go)' by Jan 2nd 2010, as I pointed out a few days ago in another thread.  They had all the necessary validators required for touching in or out on platforms and ticket gates on that date, when PAYG went live on NR^» (Network Rail - home page) throughout the zones, even if the TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) then took some time to be altered to provide top ups..

The only remaining major problem is that nearly all of SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s ticket offices and TVMs cannot deal with Oyster PAYG top ups.  That is a separate issue to being part of the PAYG regime, and is mainly due to DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) intransigence over ITSO/Oyster compatibility.

Paul