Cotswold Line 90% fare increases from 17 May 2015

[whole diary]

[grahame]

The rail industry could do itself a huge favour by combining May / September "restructures" with January fare increases.   However changes are described, if the customer ends up paying more for the same product, or changing to a different and less convenient product to avoid a newly increased cost, (s)he will see it as a price rise.   

[ChrisB]

The 19.39 arrival at Swindon is off-peak. The 19.45 arrival at Oxford is off-peak. The 19.41 arrival at Charlbury will be peak, with another hour's wait until the first off-peak. That is not, by any stretch, "bringing the Cotswolds into line with other routes" as FGW^▸ (First Great Western) claim.

Richard - Charlbury is further from London than either Oxford or Swindon, so this comparison is a complete dud. By your argument, Moreton & Worcester/ Stroud & Kemble could also argue the same way.....

Unregulated fares can be changed in January, May and September. Regulated fares are nearly always changed in January, but don't have to be. They can be changed at the other fares rounds as long as the minimum time between changes is 12 months.

Surprised at you, BNM - this is incorrect. Regulated fares can go up at each of the fare rounds, so long as the total increase is at or below the regulated rise. Of course, to get a full year's worth of the increase, they generally go up the full amount in January, but don't have to.

However, if a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) doesn't use the full increase, they can't 'bank' it for use in further years, it is lost forever - and as a large % of regulated rises go straight to the Exchequer, TOCs are loathe to lose out.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Richard - Charlbury is further from London than either Oxford or Swindon, so this comparison is a complete dud.

Nope. The rail distance from Paddington to Swindon and Charlbury is almost identical - indeed, Swindon is very slightly further (77.25 vs 76.75 miles).

[ChrisB]

So, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could argue that, allowing for the number of commuters from Swindon being well over 4 times that from Charlbury, that their 4tph service is needed to cope with those numbers rather than it being an enhanced service, the fares ought to be close to identical too?

The 1941 arrival at Charlbury will be peak, as will it's arrival at Oxford. If that were different, your argument would stand up, but they're being fair I think. The 1945 arrival at Oxford is off-peak, and remains off-peak to Charlbury - so fair again. It's not FGW's fault that Charlbury is beyond Oxford.

Also, many trains currently are peak at Oxford but off-peak beyond. Has that been fair by your argument for Oxford, all these years?

[IanL]

Does the Swindon service have 2+ hour gaps in service both ways during the day, what is the last train from Paddington to Swindon in the evening? Is is not just distance that should be compared.

It is not as though FGW^▸ (First Great Western) doesn't have previous form for changing the validity rather than the fares. There used to be a rule stating that Off Peak tickets could be used on the 0842 service from Charlbury towards London, this was withdrawn forcing a 30% (from memory) fare rise overnight for many Charlbury-Oxford commuters.

[grahame]

Does the Swindon service have 2+ hour gaps in service both ways during the day, what is the last train from Paddington to Swindon in the evening? Is is not just distance that should be compared.

It is not as though FGW^▸ (First Great Western) doesn't have previous form for changing the validity rather than the fares. There used to be a rule stating that Off Peak tickets could be used on the 0842 service from Charlbury towards London, this was withdrawn forcing a 30% (from memory) fare rise overnight for many Charlbury-Oxford commuters.

I always find it educational to me to make comparisons ... and my natural comparison tends to be to and from my home town of Melksham (population between 20,000 and 25,000 depending on where you drawn the boundary line)

Monday to Friday
- longest gap towards London, 07:49 to 10:04
- longest gap arriving back, 13:13 to 15:53
- last train departure from London - 19:00
- peak return fare for the day - ^160.00 (via Swindon - higher via Westbury)
- off peak return fare - ^64.00 (first valid train - 10:04 from Melksham)
- super off-peak return fare - ^51.00 (first valid train - 10:04 from Melksham)

Note that there is no superoffpeak train service after the evening peak, but (we have worked with FGW to get this one to work) it IS valid on the 20:45 off Paddington, changing onto the 234 bus a Chippenham Station which accepts train tickets (or rather the driver does!).

I'm not crying "woe is me" about some of the holes - but rather we're looking to fill the trains - and gaps - on what's clearly a very much used service.   I was full and standing - again - on the train from Melksham yesterday.   Seats then available for all the rest of my journey after I changed at Chippenham.

[bathgreenpark9f]

All gone very quiet on this thread, we are now in the run up to the introduction of these changes tomorrow and apart from PR^▸ (Public Relations) about the availability of Advance fares there is nothing on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website about the revised off peak restrictions west of Oxford. I found a locally produced information sheet at Worcester F.S. but no mention there of fares routed Evesham/Stroud which may be the best London fares for passengers starting out from stations between Hereford and Worcester and wanting to return in the evening peak with some flexibility. And I wonder if David Cameron got a reply to his letter to FGW?

[ChrisB]

Mark Hopwood chose wisely & appeared at the CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) on Saturday - he had said he wouldn't be there to begin with.

Other Coffeeshop posters were there, I wasn't able to be, I'm sure they'll be along with updates on what was said very soon....

[Richard Fairhurst]

The introduction of the new fares has been celebrated in time-honoured fashion by a train breaking down at Charlbury today, severely disrupting the Cotswold Line service for much of the day, and causing me to cancel my planned trip to Oxford this evening... hey ho.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, the 1022 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-HFD^» (Hereford - next trains) sat down just beyond Ascott and refused to play - an electrical fault I believe.  There was also an electrical fault on one yesterday at Ledbury, but that only caused 40 minutes of delay.  Today's stricken set was eventually rescued by another HST^▸ (High Speed Train).  The HSTs really seem to be struggling reliability wise now as they approach their 40th birthday, so it's a good job new trains are on the horizon.

[CLPGMS]

In addition to the 1022 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-HFD^» (Hereford - next trains), it appears that 1W59 (1749 PAD-WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains)) had some kind of problem yesterday. It was 17 minutes late at Didcot East Junction and 66 minutes late at Didcot North Junction.  It eventually arrived at Worcester 71 minutes late, having been overtaken by the 1822 ex PAD at Didcot.  Presumably, it went into Didcot Parkway station.  Does anyone know why?

[Louis94]

In addition to the 1022 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-HFD^» (Hereford - next trains), it appears that 1W59 (1749 PAD-WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains)) had some kind of problem yesterday. It was 17 minutes late at Didcot East Junction and 66 minutes late at Didcot North Junction.  It eventually arrived at Worcester 71 minutes late, having been overtaken by the 1822 ex PAD at Didcot.  Presumably, it went into Didcot Parkway station.  Does anyone know why?

Set Swap at Didcot Parkway with 1728 Worcester-London (180). The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) had its horn stuck on.

[didcotdean]

Yes - didn't go down too well with the neighbouring houses according to the complaints on a couple of Didcot forums ...