Another increase in unregulated fares

[whole diary]

[woody]

How the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) reports it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/jersey/4085916.stm
Quote But Tim Bowcock, from First Great Western, said: "We run high-speed long-distance trains which tend to use more fuel than slower, more local services so perhaps we are more greatly affected than other operators by increases in fuel prices, which have gone up by up to 50%.Hmmm.                                                                   

[TerminalJunkie]

How the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) reports it.

You mean "reported it". That story is dated 12 June 2005. 

[woody]

How the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) reports it.

You mean "reported it". That story is dated 12 June 2005. 

OOps Sorry the link came from another current rail forum.Should have looked closer before I leaped as it were.

[JayMac]

I've now had a response from Jo at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) via Facebook to my query regarding this second increase in five months of Super Off-Peak and Off-Peak fares from Devon and Cornwall to London.

Hi Justin - Regulated fares are not limited to one increase per year - we may increase them as many times as the fares round structure allows (currently three times a year). Individual fares within a basket are permitted to rise above permitted regulated levels by a further 5%, provided that the basket as a whole does not exceed the stated level.

Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets to/from Devon and Cornwall are very popular, and as such many trains are very full. The pence-per-mile rate is low compared to our other HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) routes, yet demand outside the peak periods is higher. We consider that the new prices still represent good value for money and it should be noted that a great many Advance fares are also available on this route, which represent even better value for money.

I hope that explanation is clear and thank you for your patience with this.

Jo

As I suspected, a manipulation of the 'fares basket' rules allows this second increase. Whether the good folks of Devon & Cornwall will agree that fares increasing by 10% in 5 months represents 'good value' is probably worthy of further debate..... 

[Southern Stag]

Viewed in isolation the fares don't appear that good value but when you compare them with almost any other long distance walk up fare in to London they look like rather good value.

[JayMac]

The actual make up of a particular 'fares basket' is not information in the public domain and this is probably due to being commercially sensitive.

I'm wondering though whether FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could not have made smaller increases across a wider range of fares on their network rather than limiting the increases to fares to/from Devon and Cornwall....

[woody]

The selective fare rises in Devon and Cornwall would be acceptable if we were getting new trains and electrification like the rest of the franchise but we are not are we,just ageing HST^▸ (High Speed Train) trains running on a stagnating railway.New blood is definitely needed on this franchise now.

[Southern Stag]

I think I'd much rather an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for a long distance HST than the 'replacement' bi-mode IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.), lovely underfloor engines for the 5 hour trip from Penzance to London in a nice 153-width saloon.

[woody]

Many would much rather see that "political" train the IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) binned and replaced with say a much more cost effective non-tilting Pendolino and more Great Western electrification but of course we all know that the IEP project has been one big fiddle from start to finish within the Dft and when push comes to shove First Group have to go along with all those fiddles dont they.The simple fact is that had British rail survived and been publically funded to the same high level as say FGW^▸ (First Great Western) I am sure by now we would have had widespread electrification and APT^▸ (Advanced Passenger Train),British Rails 155mph capable tilting HST^▸ (High Speed Train) replacement in operation by now.The HST was only ever meant to be a stop gap not a permanent solution until the APT came along in fleet service.Instead we have above inflation rises in ticket prices now 2 or3 times a year for what is set to become under First Group a second rate British Rail era rail service in the South West.Clearly new blood is desperately needed on the Great Western franchise now if the South West is not to be left high and dry.

[Btline]

You need Virgin Trains or a Chiltern incarnation.

If only VT^▸ (Virgin Trains - former franchises) had got the East Coast and we'll have no more bottlenecks on that line.
The only reason B'ham to Derby is 125 mph is VT pushing for it.

Are XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) campaigning for 125 mph B'ham to Bristol? No.

[JayMac]

Are XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) campaigning for 125 mph B'ham to Bristol? No.

No, but line speed increases are planned for that route by Network Rail, between Westerleigh and Yate for example. There are also increases planned between Bristol and Bridgwater, including 125mph running, which will be of great benefit to XC.

You need Virgin Trains or a Chiltern incarnation.

Of the bidders for the Greater Western franchise, one (Stagecoach) is 49% owner of Virgin and another (Arriva UK^▸ (United Kingdom)) is full owner of Chiltern....

As for a 'Chiltern incarnation', I'm not sure I'd want a company that introduces a 'simplified' fares structure on its core route to attract new custom and then, once it's got that custom, increases prices by over 25% in the space of 8 months.

[Btline]

Yes but it's the people in Chiltern not the company that have been the inspiration.

Had is not been for Adrian Shooter, Warwick Parkway would never have happened. He was told (by the "powers that be") a station was too expensive as it would need a new underpass. So he drove to the site himself, saw that it was all lies as there was a (cattle access underpass there) and got the station built.

As for the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) routes, good news - but huge swathes of the line could be upgraded by upgrading the half barrier level crossings. The track through Worcestershire is dead straight.

[JayMac]

The track through Worcestershire is dead straight.

And damn hilly. From Birmingham to Cheltenham 125mph is feasible. Not so sure in the other direction, even with the full beans applied, that a Voyager can get to, or keep to, top speed for any great duration.

Would it really be justifiable to increase line speeds to 125mph on this stretch when the chances of getting to that speed for any length of time sufficient to improve journey times can only realistically be achieved in one direction?

[Btline]

Apart from the Lickey incline then...

[JayMac]

I'm still a bit confused as to how FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could increase regulated fares for Devon and Cornwall to/from Reading/London Paddington.

The increases in January were, across the board on HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) flows, RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context))+1%, or thereabouts. Devon and Cornwall has just seen another 3.5% increase on average on these flows.

The 'basket' rules allow for 5% above the the RPI+1% on individual flows as long as the basket as a whole doesn't increase above RPI+1%. With every regulated fare on HSS services in FGW land to/from Reading/London Paddington increasing by RPI+1% in January I'm struggling to see where the wriggle room was for FGW to increase the flows to/from Devon and Cornwall by a further 3.5% on average.

So, by my reckoning, there would have to have been some fares that didn't increase in January or some fares that came down in price.

Now.... FGW have introduced a new 'flow' on May 20th. 'Via Newbury'. For stations east of Castle Cary and in Wiltshire. (Bruton, Frome, Westbury, Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Avoncliff, Freshford) This new 'flow' now has fares priced cheaper (by as much as 25%) than the previously only available 'Any Permitted'.

One wonders.... is this the manipulation that has allowed the 'fares basket' to stay within RPI+1% as a whole....