Season ticket renewal discount?

[whole diary]

[Boppy]

Hi,

I renewed my Reading-Paddington season ticket (For 1 month 5 days) this morning but did not get the 10% discount that is normally applied.  Has the discount period now ended because FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have improved their performance?

The only other reason I can think that maybe I didn't get it was because my last season ticket finished on Thu 5th Feb but I didn't renew it until today (Mon 9th Feb) - would that make the discount invalid because of the gap in renewing?

Thanks,

Boppy.

[super tm]

Yes it looks that way see
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=265

Figures came out  31st Jan and there are no discounts on HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) renewals anymore

[Boppy]

  Well I guess the figures speak for themselves!  Well done FGW^▸ (First Great Western).  Cheers for the link.

[tramway]

I just hope FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are telling the whole truth this time, it might cost them more than ^29M if they aren^t.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2348.0

A couple of other links regarding performance that others may have missed.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4052.0

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=763.0

[ap00rva]

I renewed my ticket from London to Reading and was told that there would be no discount.
So from paying ^332 in Dec-2008, I had to pay ^398 today! This is daylight robbery.
Also, on their performance page, it says that London to Thames Valley journeys still qualify for the 8% discount.
Isnt Reading in the Thames Valley? 

[devon_metro]

London - Reading is a high speed journey, so presume it uses that performance figure.

[Ollie]

L&TV^▸ (Thames Valley) would be the stopping services from Paddington to Reading / Oxford and branch lines and the Reading - Gatwick Route Basingstokes etc..

[Chris from Nailsea]

Welcome to the Coffee Shop forum, by the way, ap00rva - and I'm sorry to hear about your lack of discount! 

[Electric train]

Renewed my season from Furze Platt to Zones 1-6 there was a 5% discount this year

Oh by the way not all Network Rail employees get free travel, we pay like everyone else

[mr_p]

I'm another one on the Reading-Paddington highspeed service who's now paying ^398/month.  The 19-20% increase over December does sting, although I seem to remember the monthly prices dropped between 2007 and 2008 (^338 to ^332?), and an increase with inflation is valid (...I won't get into the 6% or 7% thing).

Clearly its good they're on time, but (prehaps predictably) in another way I feel a bit surprised, as I don't really notice the difference compared to my 2007 experiences.  I look at the "Passenger's Charter Performance Results" and it seems to say it only counts trains leaving Paddington between 1600 & 1900.  I don't finish work until 1830, so I'm never leaving in that window and yet I still get trains that are delayed (and still busy).  My other half said that, considering how much it now costs, maybe I should look into any compensation options for when things are delayed, but it turns out the compensation is only valid on journeys delayed by an hour or more - unlikely when its around 30 minutes to Reading...can't help but think (okay, 'wish'...) that were percentage-based instead.

mr.p

[Chris from Nailsea]

Welcome to the Coffee Shop forum, mr_p, and thanks for your comments.

I can only sympathise with all those who suffer such delays / fare increases on Reading - Paddington services: I'm rather embarrassed that my ^4 a day return daily commute is now so reliable, by comparison. 

Clearly, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) still have some work to do on improving their services east of Swindon!

[super tm]

I'm another one on the Reading-Paddington highspeed service who's now paying ^398/month.  The 19-20% increase over December does sting, although I seem to remember the monthly prices dropped between 2007 and 2008 (^338 to ^332?), and an increase with inflation is valid (...I won't get into the 6% or 7% thing).

Clearly its good they're on time, but (prehaps predictably) in another way I feel a bit surprised, as I don't really notice the difference compared to my 2007 experiences.  I look at the "Passenger's Charter Performance Results" and it seems to say it only counts trains leaving Paddington between 1600 & 1900.  I don't finish work until 1830, so I'm never leaving in that window and yet I still get trains that are delayed (and still busy).  My other half said that, considering how much it now costs, maybe I should look into any compensation options for when things are delayed, but it turns out the compensation is only valid on journeys delayed by an hour or more - unlikely when its around 30 minutes to Reading...can't help but think (okay, 'wish'...) that were percentage-based instead.

mr.p

You are looking at the wrong section.  The depart between 1600 - 1900 applies to stopping services in the thames valley.  As most reading to paddington journeys are made on HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) services then the HSS rules apply and all services are counted except sunday and the margin of delay allowed is up to 9 minutes.

Also compensation is not paid to holders of monthly or longer season tickets as you describe above.  This only applies to day and 7 day season tickets.

The comment about there not being much difference in the 2007 figures shows the problems you can get when compensating all people along a route for the delay / cancellations to the overall train service.  As Reading gets a pretty good service delays in one area will not necessasarily have much effect on your particular journey.  For example if trains are all delayed by 20 minutes  then at Reading you will not really notice that much as there are about 10 fast trains an hour in the peak.  However travelling from Chippenham for example with two trains an hour and you will not be happy.

Some years ago after the speed restrictions following the hatfield accident all annual season ticket holders had a cash refund for their journey.  It just so happened that that year I had bought my season ticket from a train station in London but did not actually use the train to get to work (bus and tube instead).  I still cashed the cheque  but in reality I did not deserved to be compensated as i never used the train.

I believe in the future with smart cards etc holders of monthly and longer season tickets will automatically get a refund if their own train is late thus doing away with this anomoly.  When it is going to happen that is another question.

[IndustryInsider]

I believe in the future with smart cards etc holders of monthly and longer season tickets will automatically get a refund if their own train is late thus doing away with this anomoly.  When it is going to happen that is another question.

Crikey! I'll believe that when I see it! How on earth would you determine what train a passenger boarded? Unless the actual trains are going to have readers on them that ticket holders will swipe their tickets on?

[Tim]

I believe in the future with smart cards etc holders of monthly and longer season tickets will automatically get a refund if their own train is late thus doing away with this anomoly.  When it is going to happen that is another question.

Crikey! I'll believe that when I see it! How on earth would you determine what train a passenger boarded? Unless the actual trains are going to have readers on them that ticket holders will swipe their tickets on?

This is a problem that LU have not adequately addressed with their pay as you go Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) cards.  Off peak on the tube starts at 9:30 and you can legally travel on an off peak ticket if you pass through the gates at 9:28, buy a coffee on the platform and board the train at 9:32, but if you do that Oyster will charge you a peak fare.

When we have "smart" ticketing on National rail this will also be a problem.  I am sure that the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) do not want people quequing up blocking the gates and then all trying to touch in the second the peak ends and then running to catch their train which is leaving a minute later.   

[Zoe]

The system for compensating monthly or longer period season ticket holders is to end and a new system called "Delay/Repay" will compensate holders for actual journeys taken only.  Quote from the dft:

The new passenger refund system, Delay/Repay, will compensate season ticket holders for delays to journeys they have actually taken, not on the basis of overall performance. This is the same compensation system as currently operates for single, return and weekly ticket holders. Refunds will be on the basis of the proportional daily cost of season tickets, with a 50% single refund for delays of 30-59 minutes, 100% single refund for delays of 60-119 minutes, and 100% return refund for delays of 120 minutes+. This system will be rolled out nationally during the term of each new franchise.

This was in the new Cross Country franchise announcement.