Has anyone else noticed that First Great Western has raised the Glos-Paddington fare from ^47 to ^56 two weeks ago? Also, on Monday it raised the price of parking from ^2.50 to ^3.50 if you pay by card^ or from ^2.70 to ^7.50 if you pay by cash. The car park increase is to dissuade non rail travellers from parking, but I am loathe to believe this entirely.
The double-whammy is a whopping 19% for the train fare and 20% for the parking by credit card or more than 270% if you have to pay cash! (Have I done my sums correctly?)
I travel to London up to twice a week and have to do a particular journey time so I am hit for an extra ^20 per week travel costs... or put it another way, up to an extra ^1500 per year (based on the number of journeys I did last year). I also have staff that travel to London, so we predict our corporate rail bill will increase by a minimum of ^2k in the next 12 months.
The smiley nice ticket man at Glos said that fare banding given to off peak travel has been altered^ the increase affects me personally on the 0846 from Glos^ and my return from Paddington at 1848. I was advised to travel an hour later in the morning, and travel back an hour later in the evening if I wanted the cheaper fare. Thanks... write off any morning meetings and get home at 10pm.
At a time when all budgets are under pressure how can the FGW▸ justify this? I've written to my local MP▸ who is hosting a business breakfast locally in Gloucestershire this Thursday with Peter Luff MP, Chairman of the Business and Enterprise Select Committee. He says he'll address this... Hmmmmmmmmmm
I can't help feeling I am stuffed. Anyone out there experiencing/feeling the same pain?
Can't offer any help with the parking, but on the fares front you can make some savings on the current Off-Peak return if you know in advance what days you are traveling to/from London. Currently FGW are offering Advance fares of ^23.50 each way on the services you use (0846
GCR» and 1848
PAD» ). Even looking at just 2 days ahead the ^23.50 is available both ways. I have looked at various dates up to 2 months ahead and it appears that these are the only standard class advance fares for the services you use on weekdays. Do, however, bear in mind these fares are only available online with FGW; you will pay 10% more at the station or buying them from another ticketing website.
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