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Author Topic: Seat Reservations on FGW  (Read 106924 times)
Btline
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« Reply #165 on: April 21, 2009, 20:21:14 »

Yes - introduce more Super-Off Peak fares, to allow affordable - but flexible - travel on the least full trains of the day.

e.g. London to B'ham - a Super Off-Peak ticket gives you a choice of all the trains 11am - 3pm and after 8 pm. With a train every 20 mins, and an affordable ticket like this, people would flock to the railway.
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vacman
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« Reply #166 on: April 21, 2009, 23:18:06 »

Yes - introduce more Super-Off Peak fares, to allow affordable - but flexible - travel on the least full trains of the day.

e.g. London to B'ham - a Super Off-Peak ticket gives you a choice of all the trains 11am - 3pm and after 8 pm. With a train every 20 mins, and an affordable ticket like this, people would flock to the railway.
People have flocked to the railway for advance tickets!
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Mookiemoo
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« Reply #167 on: April 21, 2009, 23:36:14 »

Yes - introduce more Super-Off Peak fares, to allow affordable - but flexible - travel on the least full trains of the day.

e.g. London to B'ham - a Super Off-Peak ticket gives you a choice of all the trains 11am - 3pm and after 8 pm. With a train every 20 mins, and an affordable ticket like this, people would flock to the railway.
People have flocked to the railway for advance tickets!

yes they have - but on full trains which makes the lives of the people who would use them anyway miserable.

As much as I would like advance fairs on peak trains (god knows it would have benefited me over the last few months - odd trips to hemel in peak with no season) I understand why this doesnt happen on morning peak.

Buthaving it on evening peak means I get a good ride into work but then enter a cattle car on the way home - espcially with some OPCOs habit of declassifying first class!  At least FGW (First Great Western) resist if possible!

But hey - I'm a long distance commuter so I dont count


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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love"
vacman
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« Reply #168 on: April 21, 2009, 23:52:42 »


yes they have - but on full trains which makes the lives of the people who would use them anyway miserable.





its the off-peak trains that are full due to advance!
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Mookiemoo
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« Reply #169 on: April 22, 2009, 00:27:38 »


yes they have - but on full trains which makes the lives of the people who would use them anyway miserable.





its the off-peak trains that are full due to advance!

Evening peak hour trains?

Morning trains seem reasonably free from advance

But evening peak - advance rules ok
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Ditched former sig - now I need to think of something amusing - brain hurts -I'll steal from the master himself - Einstein:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love"
Zoe
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« Reply #170 on: April 22, 2009, 10:03:21 »

I am not completely against advance fares, they certainly do have their place but I don't think this should be at the expense of affordable walk-on travel.  The cheapest walk-on fare from Newton Abbot to Paddington jumped from ^49 to ^63 in just 6 months due to this policy.
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Btline
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« Reply #171 on: April 22, 2009, 20:24:28 »

More people will flock to the railway with cheap walk up tickets than ones where they have to book in advance.

Someone could make a split second decision to travel from London to B'ham and they don't get punished for doing so!
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Zoe
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« Reply #172 on: April 22, 2009, 20:59:17 »

Someone could make a split second decision to travel from London to B'ham and they don't get punished for doing so!
With trains running at turn-up and go frequencies on that route, it's a bit of a contradiction that you have to book in advance to be able to afford to go on them.
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Btline
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« Reply #173 on: April 22, 2009, 21:13:41 »

Exactly. What is the benefit of the VHF timetable if you can't just catch the next train home when you meeting finishes?

Branston said: you can rip up the timetable!

No you can't - unless you want to pay over the nose, you have to select your train first! Contradictory.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #174 on: April 22, 2009, 21:24:17 »

As an interesting example of this subject, a colleague and I will be travelling from Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington next Wednesday.  Our employer has provided us with Anytime Return tickets (at ^149 each!), as we will definitely be catching the 08:30 from BRI» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains), but we don't know which train we will be catching for the return from PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains), as we don't know how long our meeting will last.  However, despite this, we have been given seat reservations in Coach D on the 17:00 departure from PAD - when in fact we'll probably not be returning on that particular train.

As an aside - our tickets allow travel 'on any permitted route': is via Bristol Parkway a permitted route?
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William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
devon_metro
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« Reply #175 on: April 22, 2009, 22:12:56 »

Yes, you may travel via any Bristol station.

You might even be able to go via Westbury, however don't quote me on that!!
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #176 on: April 22, 2009, 22:15:40 »

Brilliant - thanks, devon_metro!  Wink Cheesy Grin
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William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
devon_metro
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« Reply #177 on: April 22, 2009, 22:25:59 »

Just had a look on fgw website and if you so wish you can take the scenic route via Westbury (maybe even Melksham)  Cheesy
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thetrout
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« Reply #178 on: April 22, 2009, 23:21:52 »

Yes Chris, Via Bristol Parkway on a London - Bristol Temple Meads ticket is permitted Grin
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Grin Grin Grin Grin
Mookiemoo
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« Reply #179 on: April 24, 2009, 14:20:24 »

"Why should the occasional business traveller effectively subsidise commuters from places like Bath.  Such commuters are generally not essential commuters but rather people who have chosen to live somewhere nice a long way from London - that is fine but they should pay for their lifestyle choice."

Its not always a life style choice.  Since I went independent I have worked in:

London
Nottingham
Manchester
Uxrbdige
Swindon
Rugby
Birmigham
Uxbridge
Stafford
Oxford
Putney
Reading
Belfast
TBA

Now unless you propose I move house every six months and relocate the family, there is no choice.  Yes us long distance commuters may be fewer than local, but we should not be discounted on the basis of it.

Update........

London
Nottingham
Manchester
Uxrbdige
Swindon
Rugby
Birmigham
Uxbridge
Stafford
Oxford
Putney
Reading
Belfast
Slough and New York 50/50


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Ditched former sig - now I need to think of something amusing - brain hurts -I'll steal from the master himself - Einstein:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love"
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