Making fares simpler

[whole diary]

[Bob_Blakey]

A very brief excursion into the world of basic mathematics seems to indicate that the current pricing of season tickets is completely illogical; considering only annual tickets and assuming one return journey each & every day of the year (other calculations are available) the pence per mile costs for a very small subset of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trips to/from Paddington are as follows:
SLO 19.7, MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station) 17.6, RDG^‡(resolve) 19.9, GOR 13.7, DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) 13.2, SWI^» (Swindon - next trains) 15.6, APF 12.7, OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) 11.1

Do Reading commuters realise they are apparently being taken to the cleaners? Do the people of Oxford know where the GWR bodies are buried? 

It would be very easy to find loads of other similar anomalies e.g. annual ticket NBY^» (Newbury - next trains)<>PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) being about £500 less than RDG<>PAD; any meaningful fares review has to sort out this nonsense.

[grahame]

A very brief excursion into the world of basic mathematics seems to indicate that the current pricing of season tickets is completely illogical ...

I have seen suggestion that there is a logic on London season tickets - relating to macro planning, encouraging London's workforce to live in places that the overall country's plans would like.   Aren't there tables of season ticket price + average mortgage price somewhere, so that judgement is made on cost of living?   

I seem to recall that the Medway towns - Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham - came out well on this calculation.   Swindon - long way out, but plenty of scope for people to live - is priced at a very low rate per mile for season tickets; alas, its a high rate per mile for others, bearing in mind that prices were pushed up when those lovely new HST125 trains came in, and the differential has never been removed.

No discussion that I have seen on this thread yet of day return v period return - again on the Swindon one it strikes me as a surprise with changing travel patterns that there isn't a Swindon to London day return ... except that to introduce such a ticket would mean bring in a new day fare at a somewhat lower level than the current period fare, and although that might be in the passenger's interest, it would not be in the interests of the rail industry.

[CyclingSid]

On the subject of increases, whether RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) + n or whatever. If we are talking about encouraging people to use public transport, an extremely radical proposal is that RPI + n can only implemented when the Fuel escalator is operating. The Fuel escalator has been "cancelled" for how many years, whereas the rail fares carry on rising making public transport increasingly less affordable in comparative terms.

From a personal point of view, there are certain anomalies or flexibilities in the current system which I find it useful being able to do RDG^‡(resolve)-PMH either via GLD or BSK^▸ (Brake Standard Corridor (carriage)), wouldn't particularly want to lose that. Unfortunately my cycle legs don't tend to make an Advance return leg possible, lack of predictability.

[Richard Fairhurst]

On the subject of increases, whether RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) + n or whatever. If we are talking about encouraging people to use public transport, an extremely radical proposal is that RPI + n can only implemented when the Fuel escalator is operating.

That is a terrific idea.

[mjones]

On the subject of increases, whether RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) + n or whatever. If we are talking about encouraging people to use public transport, an extremely radical proposal is that RPI + n can only implemented when the Fuel escalator is operating. The Fuel escalator has been "cancelled" for how many years, whereas the rail fares carry on rising making public transport increasingly less affordable in comparative terms.
....

A very good point.

One way to do something like this would be to drop RPI and instead use an inflation measure that more closely follows the cost of driving. The HMRC allowed mileage rates for expenses perhaps.

[Bmblbzzz]

Yes, a good idea, Sid.

[teamsaint]

Some fundamental issues


3. Why are return tickets always issued for the same time of day (peak, off peak, super off peak) in both directions when many people want to travel out and back at different busyness times?

As you are doubtless aware , SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) has ordinary off Peak  tickets which can be used for peak trains out of London. Only super off peak are restricted.

I have options  for getting to London other than SWR, ( EG Newbury to Paddington instead of Basingstoke  to Waterloo )but I never use them because of the likelihood of needing to return in peak time.
Presumably GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) don’t want my business just after 4.00PM, so they don’t get it.

[grahame]

"The Consultation is on" - topic split to talk about the consultation at

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19894.0