The ^327 rail ticket from Bath to Northallerton

[whole diary]

[Phil]

....there's always the 7-day All-Line Rail Rover at ^375 (or ^565 for the 14-day version)...

Reading this reminded me of something that vacman said a while ago :

I may be staff but I have a RIGHT to free travel and I pay tax on my free travel (it's reflected in my tax code as it's a privilege of my employment)!

My maths are notoriously suspect, but if I'm right then in effect what this means is railway staff are enjoying a pre-taxed annual entitlement worth either at best

52 (the number of 7 day periods in a year) x ^375 = ^19,500

or at least,

26 (the number of fortnights in a year) x ^565 = ^14,690

- which I have to say, either way isn't exactly to be sniffed at. Any jobs going?

[John R]

This is a bit off topic given the original subject, but that theory only works if railway staff use it to that level (which of course they cannot because they are at work a lot of the time.) And as I recall it's not unlimited free travel, only for so many days a year. And I don't believe more recent recruits (post privitisation, so actually 10 years now) get even that level of benefit.

[Super Guard]

Post privatisation employees get free travel on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and get discounted travel on other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company).

Safeguarded employees (pre-privatisation) get free FGW & 12-16 periods of (I think 48hrs) of free travel on any TOC and discounted London Underground travel.

All employees after 12mths employment get an International Discount card including Eurostar, depending on foreign TOCs terms.

However, I would love to have the spare time to get the ^19,500 benefit that Phil illustrates 

[Phil]

   I wasn't really "illustrating" anything, just adding together the contents of two disparate Coffee Shop posts and coming up with a vaguely interesting figure. Sorry for straying so far off topic! I did realise it doesn't really belong here, but honestly it was just me thinking aloud really, and definitely not worth starting a new thread over.

Back now to your normal programming   

[NICK]

I have a meeting in Portishead all day, so going up on Monday is not an option.

It's looking like the car at the moment unless anyone can come up with a suggestion?

Nick

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hello, Nick, and a slightly belated welcome from me!

As a moderator, I tend to start some threads on this forum with a link to a topical news story: when I did that with this particular one, I certainly didn't expect it would set off such a fascinating (and generally well-mannered) debate.  Thanks, everyone!

As to your journey in this case - I have to agree with those who have acknowledged that the car is probably the better option, given your commitments to be in Lincoln at a certain time.

However, please don't leave us because of that: I'm sure that our members here will be delighted to offer a similarly detailed set of suggestions for any future logistical challenge you may set them!

Best wishes, and thanks for your input on this forum!

Chris 

[Boppy]

Portishead was recently covered in the 2nd episode (called West) of the Beeching's Tracks series on BBC4 - I was going to post the link but that episode is no longer available on iplayer due to episode 3 now being the latest.

The 2 hour car commute the girl had from Portishead to Bristol (12miles) was madness - she's now moved to Bristol it said at the end of the episode!

On the positive side it sounds like the track extension to Portishead will go ahead at some point in the next few? years.  On the downside for you Nick this obviously isn't soon enough and I'd give yourself plenty of time by car from the sounds of things.  I'm sure others who live near the area have better advice!

Boppy.

[dog box]

Nick.....dont think its possible to go to lincoln on the day and get there for 9.30, earliest will be 10 02 and that is of course if everything runs smootly, you would need to go to btm to catch the 447 to pad [it goes via hullavington} savers are valid on this train ^53 advance single, ^102 off peak single.
return would leave lincoln 1532 and go via new st ^102 single return arrive btm 8 pm ish.

[NICK]

Looks like it's the car then? Believe it or not, I hate driving. But like lawyers and accounts, cars are still an evil necessary.

Because in this instance I had time to plan (which is unusual). I was really looking forward to eating some humble pie and being proved wrong.

I know that you are really keen to get people like me onto the trains, and I do applauad that. But by just looking at this one particular trip to Lincoln, I hope you are able to start to understand why for people like me, using trains is a problem regarding cost and convenience.

Thanks very much for your efforts though!

Nick

[John R]

Nick

Please do try us again though, and also let us know whether you get any joy in trying to get FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to admit that they should have sold you the cheaper ticket (and more to the point, compensate you!)
You might find another reminder pointing out that it's the "media case" might have some more joy.

[grahame]

Looks like it's the car then? Believe it or not, I hate driving. But like lawyers and accounts, cars are still an evil necessary.

I know that you are really keen to get people like me onto the trains, and I do applauad that. But by just looking at this one particular trip to Lincoln, I hope you are able to start to understand why for people like me, using trains is a problem regarding cost and convenience.

Nick ... I hate driving (to work, longer distance) these days too ... but I found myself driving on Monday morning from home, not far from you, to Cambridge, then back yesterday night.  It simply wasn't practical by train - not only because of cost, but because a car was the only practical way of finishing what I was doing on Sunday (ironically, helping with the Santa Special train) at around 19:30 in Melksham, and being ready to start teaching Perl Programming on the Cambridge Business Park at 08:30 the next morning.

But having said that, I heard a very interesting comment indeed from am official who works for one of the organisations involved in the rail industry who's now also a friend. "Graham - you and Cxxxxx are the only two people I know who I would expect to see equally on a train or a bus" and that sets me thinking / wondering just how much other travellers are happy to go with the most suitable mode for any journey, rather than having a strong preference.

Cambridge ... Lincoln ... Customers from Milton Keynes ... Watford ... Eccles Road ... just in the last couple of weeks.  You wouldn't believe the number of times that I, or my customers, are frustrated at how hard it is to get from the Wessex area to that wedge to the North and East of London up as far as The Humber ... and the case for the East - West rail link.

[tramway]

Would be interesting to actually see this as a regular service.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3978.0

[dog box]

Nick.....dont think its possible to go to lincoln on the day and get there for 9.30, earliest will be 10 02 and that is of course if everything runs smootly, you would need to go to btm to catch the 447 to pad [it goes via hullavington} savers are valid on this train ^53 advance single, ^102 off peak single.
return would leave lincoln 1532 and go via new st ^102 single return arrive btm 8 pm ish.

it is possible sent you a pm with details

[NICK]

Nick

Please do try us again though, and also let us know whether you get any joy in trying to get FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to admit that they should have sold you the cheaper ticket (and more to the point, compensate you!)
You might find another reminder pointing out that it's the "media case" might have some more joy.

I was thinking about contacting them again. But maybe I ought to leave it just to see how long it takes for FGW to come back to us to address the complaint.

I don't think I deserve any special or priority treatment above anyone else. If FGW think the bad media coverage should push it further up the priority list that should be up to them. I fear that it's been 20+ days already.

I can tell you that I left work at 6pm on Friday and we hadn't had a reply up to then.

Just as an aside. Does FGW really care about customer complaints? The only reason I mention this. Is if I don't like the sevices or prices in Tesco, I can choose to shop at ASDA. However if I don't like the prices or service at my local railway station, who do I go to?

This may be a very simplistic view but it is the way I see it.

Nick

[devon_metro]

I've always got a reply within about 1-2 days