Reading FC at Wembley: Fans criticise First Great Western over rail fares

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Get Reading:

Reading FC^‡(resolve) at Wembley: Fans criticise First Great Western over rail fares

Royals supporters heading to Wembley have been told they won't be able to purchase group save tickets into London on Saturday

Royals fans have reacted angrily to the news that First Great Western have scrapped their group saver fares from Reading to London Paddington on Saturday.

Groups travelling in a party of three or four can usually purchase tickets at a discounted rate if they take advantage of the scheme.

But the deal will not in place this weekend, leaving some Reading FC fans heading up to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal out of pocket.

First Great Western says the policy, which is often used during major sporting events, is to put people off using their service due to fear of overcrowding.

James Davis, media relations manager, said: "The heavily discounted GroupSave is a national product, not a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) one, and is designed to help fill empty seats on trains at quiet times. To avoid encouraging people to travel on already busy services, these fares are not normally available on busy services and specifically not on dates when there are major events, for example the Reading Festival and sporting fixtures.

"We did not remove these discounts and inform our customers early enough, and we are sorry for any confusion caused. We will of course honour any GroupSave tickets already sold."

[Adelante_CCT]

They're discouraging people from traveling by train (hardly a good advert for the railway) by claiming the trains will be busy enough as it is on top of the extra fans travelling and that they have no spare trains. Whilst I see that Swindon - Didcot is shut therefore I assume the Oxfords will be lengthened and there are specials for Newbury racecourse I bet there will still be numerous units sat in Reading TMD^▸ (Traction Maintenance Depot) all day, don't see why they can't run a couple of 6+ car turbos to Paddington and back.

[JayMac]

I'd suggest that anyone wanting Group Save from Reading to Paddington this Saturday buys their tickets online from FGW^▸ (First Great Western). The booking engine is not applying any bar. 

[TaplowGreen]

I'd suggest that anyone wanting Group Save from Reading to Paddington this Saturday buys their tickets online from FGW^▸ (First Great Western). The booking engine is not applying any bar. 

Well spotted BNM and quite right Adelante - if FGW are that worried about overcrowding (it doesn't bother them from Mon-Fri!) then they can run/lengthen a few extra services - myself and my friends always use Groupsave tickets to get to Twickenham on matchdays and those services are extremely busy but I've never known it to be suspended - this could be yet another FGW PR^▸ (Public Relations) disaster.

[grahame]

I have sympathy both ways.   Groupsave is a marketing tool to encourage quieter time use, and clearly this won't be a quieter time.  On the other hand, adding a restriction - especially an extra one (I guess this is one) at a later date than the ticket booking window doesn't feel right / fair - it feels like it's taking advantage; of course, at the point at which the ticket window opened, you would have to have been a psychic to realise that Reading to Wembly would be a popular journey that day.

As I read it, the difference in price for an adult in ^6.15 - significant for some, but hardly massive compared to the cost of match entry, the rest of the travel, beer among the way, etc. ... and I suspect that the discount of that amount is still available to Two together and Networker Card holders - i.e. many regular leisure rail travellers?

GetReading mentions 3 or 4 people getting a discount.   Out of date, perhaps; Groupsave is now three or more (when it's available)!

[JayMac]

GroupSave is for groups to travel together by rail and is there to attract people from other modes.

Times when groups are likely to want to travel together? Major events.

London Midland are not barring GroupSave on Sunday when there will be Aston Villa fans heading to Wembley. And its a Sunday also with a reduced service, although London Midland are adding additional stops at Wembley Central.

Chiltern also aren't barring their group travel products. Chiltern are also laying on an extra 12,000 seats.

So, London Midland and Chiltern are keen for the business. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are just keen for the money. That ^6 difference per person could mean the difference between taking the train with FGW or using another operator (SWT^▸ (South West Trains) from Reading will be valid for GroupSave) or mode.

[plymothian]

GroupSave is always barred for the Exeter Chiefs home games, but not Exeter City...
And always all stations to SJP - EXM inclusive, so includes groups not going anywhere near the rugby.
Yet the trains are still overcrowded.

[TaplowGreen]

GroupSave is always barred for the Exeter Chiefs home games, but not Exeter City...
And always all stations to SJP - EXM inclusive, so includes groups not going anywhere near the rugby.
Yet the trains are still overcrowded.

Quite right (Fellow) Janner! If only Argyle/Albion had crowds big enough to worry about it!!! 

[a-driver]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) is the only long distance operator to participate in GroupSave, its totally voluntary.
Abellio Greater Anglia, c2c, Chiltern, FGW, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, London Midland, Overground, ScotRail. South West Trains, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express and Thameslink participate.

Its the only way they have of discouraging passengers from travelling, they can't really win.  Sell cheaper tickets and they'll be accused of overselling trains and leaving people behind, plus they must have concerns about the signalling system failing too.

The company haven't got the spare carriages to strengthen many services because they are used intensively during the week.  The Turbo fleet is the most intensively used in the country.  A few sit on the depot at the weekend basically because there is only enough mileage to get them through a working week.  Use them at the weekend and they'll have to short form more trains in the weekday peak   
Trains are diagrammed based on there mileage in order to stagger the maintenance requirements.

[ChrisB]

Groupsave is a SPECIAL OFFER to shift seats in the QUIET off-peak periods.

This is not a quiet period & I fully support the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company). Anytime they'd be busier than normal, they remove Groupsave, not simply for this.

Lucky those that got in early, I say. Special Offers can be removed at any time.

^6 saving? They'll spend more than that on a programme/beer/pies/etc

[TaplowGreen]

Groupsave is a SPECIAL OFFER to shift seats in the QUIET off-peak periods.

This is not a quiet period & I fully support the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company). Anytime they'd be busier than normal, they remove Groupsave, not simply for this.

Lucky those that got in early, I say. Special Offers can be removed at any time.

^6 saving? They'll spend more than that on a programme/beer/pies/etc

Very mean spirited, money grubbing and hardly likely to encourage people to leave the car at home - SWT^▸ (South West Trains) don't seem to have a problem with Groupsave to Twickenham on match days as alluded to earlier..........but in all honesty with the current daily crap level of service there is no way I would chance travelling by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) train to any important event, it's bad enough chewing my fingernails hoping they will get me to and from work!!!

[JayMac]

I think I'll leave a comment on the Get Reading article pointing out where the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) GroupSave fares for this Saturday can be had.

[BerkshireBugsy]

I'm a Reading fan (sort of!) and would love the chance to see them play at Wembley but I wonder how forum members would feel if the service they were travelling on as a non-football fan was overrun with football fans who had been attracted by cheap travel deals?

I guess it is called supply and demand

[ChrisB]

Chiltern has chosen to make their morning trains dry for the Villa game, so they're all threatening to go with Virgin....

[TaplowGreen]

I'm a Reading fan (sort of!) and would love the chance to see them play at Wembley but I wonder how forum members would feel if the service they were travelling on as a non-football fan was overrun with football fans who had been attracted by cheap travel deals?

I guess it is called supply and demand

"Overrun" is probably a bit strong but if there was "overcrowding" (which I think we are all used to!!!) I'd accept the fact that there is a major sporting event going on at Wembley and plan my journey accordingly, I am more a fan of the oval ball myself (Plymouth Argyle too of course!) and I think sports fans have as much right to use trains on the same terms as anyone else?

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have a huge footprint in Reading and you would have thought that they might capitalise on this to generate publicity and goodwill for their brand, perhaps by running a couple of "football specials".........increase supply in response to demand?

I don't buy that there are absolutely no trains available to service this on a Saturday....I would have thought additional maintenance could have been fitted in around the Easter "shutdown", or is this too joined up for FGW?