Commuters furious over rail fare increase

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Reading Chronicle:

Commuters furious over rail fare increase

Rail commuters from Reading were furious to hear that rail fares are to rise 3.5 per cent ^ in the wake of a survey that rates First Great Western near the bottom of the list for customer satisfaction.



Train companies can raise the price of regulated fares such as season tickets by one percentage point above the inflation level for July each year which was revealed on Tuesday as 2.5 per cent.

The cost of an annual standard class season ticket from Reading to London will go up ^143, to a total of ^4,231. An annual Travelcard including London underground zones 1 to 6 will rise ^170 from ^4,856 to ^5,026.

Sian Davies, 26, from Tilehurst, who commutes to London to work, said: ^I stand nearly every day and always on the way into London. There simply aren^t enough carriages. It^s ridiculous, and now to top it off they^ve increased fares again too. You can^t increase fares without improving the service. It makes me angry but I really have no choice but to pay it. There^s nothing worse than finishing work after a stressful day and then fighting through so many other commuters just to get home.^

And commuter Charlotte Blackman, 24, from Reading, said: ^Every time I leave for work I feel a sense of dread. Trains are delayed and cancelled and they are horrifically overcrowded to the point where you can^t get on. It has got to the point where I am incredibly angry. I spend a third of my wages on something I have no choice but to pay for and in no way do they offer the advertised service.^

Most season ticket prices are regulated by the Government but train operators can raise fares by two per cent above inflation as long as the overall average stays at RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) plus one per cent, so some fares could increase by 4.5 per cent. Annual season tickets from Slough to London will rise from ^2,416 to ^2,501 while a Travelcard will soar by ^111 from ^3,176 to ^3.287. Seasons tickets from Maidenhead to London are to rise by ^99 whilst Travelcards will go up ^126 from ^3,604 to ^3,730.

The rise comes on top of a 3.2 per cent increase in fares in January and just after consumer rights watchdog Which? blasted First Great Western for scoring less than 50 per cent for customer satisfaction in its annual train survey.

The Which? survey asked more than 7,400 regular train passengers to share their opinions and experiences of travelling with the country^s 19 major train operating companies including First Great Western. It found that 11 out of the 19 train companies failed to score more than 50 per cent in the questionnaire, with First Great Western coming in at 15th place with an average customer satisfaction score of 45 per cent.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail watchdog Passenger Focus, said: ^Some operators will have to work hard to recover passenger confidence after difficult periods. Getting trains on time is the key factor underpinning passenger satisfaction, while how delays are dealt with is the key factor behind scores for passengers^ dissatisfaction. Better communication during weather-related disruptions may have ensured passengers^ satisfaction in dealing with delays.^

[ChrisB]

Error in the flex details....2% anove the RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context))+1%=5.5% max

[ellendune]

I sympathise with these people but only to an extent, given:

a) the amount of discount they get from the anytime fare that they would have to pay if they were otherwise to travel on the trains they use;

b) the amount even anytime Reading passengers have to pay per mile compared to long distance travellers.

Whole system is broke and no one is ready to fix it!

[John R]

No mention of the fact that an increase of standard class seat provision of around 18% on HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) is in the process of being implemented then? (And indeed is already in place on many services.)

[NickB]

No mention of the fact that an increase of standard class seat provision of around 18% on HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) is in the process of being implemented then? (And indeed is already in place on many services.)

Which simply means that First Class passengers who paid even more, but critically can and will claim refunds for standing, will have less room and have to stand. No one wins. It is not something to advertise or be happy about.

[JayMac]

I wonder if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have factored in any costs in providing compensation to 1st Class ticket holders who can't get a seat?

Difficult, as they'll not know exactly how many people are likely to be affected.

[a-driver]

Commuters will always complain even if the service was free!!

Anyone who believes that a government wouldn't have increased fares or even cut fares under a nationalised railway is somewhat deluded! 

If you read the company accounts FirstGroup made a combined ^55million operating profit from all five of its rail franchises.  That's peanuts really in comparison to the leasing companies profits (^350million in 2011) and some franchises like the West Coast and East Coast.  If you look into Virgin West Coast you'll see what Branson kicked off when he lost the the franchise.  If you look at CrossCountry you'll see why he kept quiet when he lost that one!!
The average profit margin for a rail company is just 3.9%

What no one has worked out is how much the treasury makes from these fare rises.  Under some franchise agreements, additional revenue received goes straight back to the government.

[grahame]

What no one has worked out is how much the treasury makes from these fare rises.  Under some franchise agreements, additional revenue received goes straight back to the government.

Under the previous GW^▸ (Great Western) franchise, a high proportion of any extra revenue gained went to government (under cap and collar) and that stifled innovation through extra passenger numbers / farebox income.   Taking the extra stop at Ashchurch in the morning HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from Worcester to London via Swindon, whe paid by local authority subsidy, it was a net gain to First.  Had it switched to farebox under the old franchise it would probably have meant a loss to First, even if the net income had been the same, as around 80% of the fares paid would have the gone to the treasury. My understanding is that this has been swept away under the current franchise; certainly, the Ashchurch stop has carried on via farebox funding and if the amount involved is the same as the subsidy was, I have to say that's common sense; "most / all extra farebox to treasury" suppresses (taxes) development.    So I think that under the current arrangement, less extra revenue goes to government ... and there are other things which would tend to confirm that.

[TaplowGreen]

I wonder if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have factored in any costs in providing compensation to 1st Class ticket holders who can't get a seat?

Difficult, as they'll not know exactly how many people are likely to be affected.

The whole idea of creating "extra" seats by reducing First class accommodation was well intentioned but badly planned and not thought through properly by those concerned...it's really a smokescreen for the inability to increase capacity by more robust means.

I'm sure it wouldn't have taken a genius to do a count of occupied 1st class seats on peak time services to give a pretty good idea of the consequences, and the inevitable cost of compensating those who have paid for a 1st class service and will now find themselves standing up.

As for a-drivers comment that "Commuters will always complain even if the service was free" I'm sure it's tongue in cheek but it does give insight into how customers are viewed by a large proportion of those employed by the railway industry, if this and other chatrooms are anything to go by.

In fact, British people are notoriously resolute and reluctant to complain, which is often why service providers get away with murder in this Country.

I wouldn't presume to speak for all commuters, and the last time I did complain to FGW I didn't even get the courtesy of a reply, however for my own part if I could be provided with a reliable, reasonably priced service which didn't involved being confined in conditions which would be illegal were I to be a cow, and where when things did go hopelessly wrong (hopefully less than twice a week which seems to be the average at the moment) there would be adequate information provided as to how/when I might get home/to work,  there'd be no complaints from me!

[johoare]

I'm sure it wouldn't have taken a genius to do a count of occupied 1st class seats on peak time services to give a pretty good idea of the consequences, and the inevitable cost of compensating those who have paid for a 1st class service and will now find themselves standing up.

I saw them counting passengers in First Class on one occasion and First Class was quite full that day. If they checked tickets more than occasionally (after Maidenhead) they could count the passengers then too 

I wouldn't presume to speak for all commuters, and the last time I did complain to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) I didn't even get the courtesy of a reply, however for my own part if I could be provided with a reliable, reasonably priced service which didn't involved being confined in conditions which would be illegal were I to be a cow, and where when things did go hopelessly wrong (hopefully less than twice a week which seems to be the average at the moment) there would be adequate information provided as to how/when I might get home/to work,  there'd be no complaints from me!

Not just for commuters either. I was on a train from Paddington to Maidenhead on Saturday evening. Between Ealing Broadway and Hayes and Harlington (where it eased a bit) conditions on that train were more than dangerous.. The train despatcher at Ealing Broadway didn't seem overly concerned though.. If it hadn't eased a bit at Hayes I was going to get off and wait for however long it took for a less packed train to arrive. Obviously it was only 3 carriages. I can only imagine the vast amount of people that must be employed at weekends to do the maintenance work on all those carriages that aren't being used 

[ellendune]

I'm sure it wouldn't have taken a genius to do a count of occupied 1st class seats on peak time services to give a pretty good idea of the consequences, and the inevitable cost of compensating those who have paid for a 1st class service and will now find themselves standing up.

Remembering of course that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will be the only ones who know how many of those passengers have 1st advanced tickets.

I saw them counting passengers in First Class on one occasion and First Class was quite full that day. If they checked tickets more than occasionally (after Maidenhead) they could count the passengers then too 

And only count this who had first class tickets

As for a-drivers comment that "Commuters will always complain even if the service was free" I'm sure it's tongue in cheek but it does give insight into how customers are viewed by a large proportion of those employed by the railway industry, if this and other chatrooms are anything to go by.

I am inclined to agree with Taplow Green on this one.

.... however for my own part if I could be provided with a reliable, reasonably priced service which didn't involved being confined in conditions which would be illegal were I to be a cow, and where when things did go hopelessly wrong (hopefully less than twice a week which seems to be the average at the moment) there would be adequate information provided as to how/when I might get home/to work,  there'd be no complaints from me!

I cannot disagree the same applies for the long distance occasional travellers who must pay 70 pence per mile plus

[grahame]

In order to add some background data to the discussions, here are some current fares - in each case the 7 day, standard class season ticket and then the cost of a buy-on-the-day, any-train standard class return - day if available, otherwise period.

Reading to Paddington
102.60 RDG^‡(resolve) - PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) 7 / 40 miles = 25.6p / mile
42.50 RDG - PAD = 53p / mile

Chippenham to Paddington
250.50 CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains) - PAD 7 / 94 miles = 26.6p / mile
157.00 CPM - PAD = 83p / mile

Bedwyn to Paddington
119.60 BDW - PAD 7 / 75 miles = 16p / mile
56.50 BDW - PAD = 38p / mile

Truro to Plymouth
50.10 TRU - PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains) 7 / 54 miles = 9.3p / mile
16.20 TRU - PLY = 15p / mile

Trowbridge to Filton Abbeywood
49.10 TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains) - FIT 7 / 28 miles = 17p / mile
10.80 TRO - FIT = 19p / mile

Maidenhead to Paddington
71.00 MHD - PAD 7 / 30 miles = 23.6p / mile
20.80 MHD - PAD = 35p / mile

Commuters often need to vary their trains, so I have not looked at fares that are train-specific (e.g. advance fares) and I've left out one-way-first seasons, 3 days + weekend seasons, and other offerings on some of these routes.  Distances for pence per mile calculations are based on road distance, on the basis that roads are a bigger network and I don't see why rail passengers going from "A" to "B" should be evaluated on milage via "D" when there's no direct railway line any longer.

If the forum is still around in 5 years time, it will be very interesting indeed to see the equivalent fares at that time!

[Umberleigh]

I'm sure it wouldn't have taken a genius to do a count of occupied 1st class seats on peak time services to give a pretty good idea of the consequences, and the inevitable cost of compensating those who have paid for a 1st class service and will now find themselves standing up.

Remembering of course that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will be the only ones who know how many of those passengers have 1st advanced tickets.

I saw them counting passengers in First Class on one occasion and First Class was quite full that day. If they checked tickets more than occasionally (after Maidenhead) they could count the passengers then too 

And only count this who had first class tickets

As for a-drivers comment that "Commuters will always complain even if the service was free" I'm sure it's tongue in cheek but it does give insight into how customers are viewed by a large proportion of those employed by the railway industry, if this and other chatrooms are anything to go by.

I am inclined to agree with Taplow Green on this one.

.... however for my own part if I could be provided with a reliable, reasonably priced service which didn't involved being confined in conditions which would be illegal were I to be a cow, and where when things did go hopelessly wrong (hopefully less than twice a week which seems to be the average at the moment) there would be adequate information provided as to how/when I might get home/to work,  there'd be no complaints from me!

I cannot disagree the same applies for the long distance occasional travellers who must pay 70 pence per mile plus

First Advance tickets are not available on peak morning services. The cheapest First single from Reading to Paddington at this time is ^42.50, almost twice the price of the Standard fare.

[IndustryInsider]

No one wins. It is not something to advertise or be happy about.

The whole idea of creating "extra" seats by reducing First class accommodation was well intentioned but badly planned and not thought through properly by those concerned...it's really a smokescreen for the inability to increase capacity by more robust means.

How can no one win when thousands more people will get a seat each day in Standard Class?  Perhaps some of those passengers interviewed by the Reading Chronicle will now be able to get a seat as a result?  It won't solve the capacity problem, but it will help to alleviate it until the IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) programme and electric suburban/Crossrail trains arrive within the next two to five years.  After then, hopefully the capacity problems will be largely solved, but until then this is the sensible (and only) way of providing an increase and talk of smokescreens really is ridiculous when a wholesale upgrade of the line is ongoing and new trains are literally just around the corner.

I can appreciate your own personal frustration, NickB, as one of the tiny minority of passengers who travel in daily on a first class ticket on one of the few trains where the reduction will cause problems, but please let's not pretend that it's anything other than a handful of trains a day of the many hundreds that operate where there are any issues.  I've still yet to see any FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) with no seats in first class seats available when I've been watching arrivals and departures from Paddington over the last few months - not saying they don't exist, but it's pretty darn rare!

[ChrisB]

Those pence/mile figures for seasons (& monthlies/annuals will wirk out even less!) Grahame mentions anove are actually perfectly reasonable when used against the car. Its unlikely you'd get those figures if you drove, or at least not beat it by very much - in the average car