Posted 3rd January 2010 | 3 Comments
The ups and downs of fares: ATOC defends changes
ATOC has been defending New Year changes to ticket prices, which include a general reduction in regulated fares but some sharp rises elsewhere. Passenger Focus is accusing some operators of 'fiddling with ticket restrictions'.
Regulated fares are falling because the Retail Price Index stood at minus 1.4 per cent last July -- when the level of the index is used to decide fare changes in the following January.
The formula set by the Department for Transport -- RPI plus 1 per cent -- means that regulated fares, which include most commuter tickets, have fallen by 0.4 per cent. But some unregulated fares, which include intercity tickets, have risen by much more than the rate of inflation. In other cases operators have tightened their restrictions on when discounted fares apply.
A London to Manchester Anytime return increases by 6 per cent, from £247 to £262, and a return from London to Cardiff goes up by 5.8 per cent, from £173 to £183.
Virgin Trains has slightly lengthened the morning and evening periods during which off-peak tickets are barred, while London Midland has introduced a ban on off-peak tickets for journeys in the London and Birmingham suburban areas during the late afternoon and early evening.
Anthony Smith of Passenger Focus is concerned. He said: "After punishing year-after-year price rises, passengers can finally look forward to small savings on their season tickets. Passengers will be pleased that the Government took our advice and limited train companies’ flexibility to raise individual regulated fares. What is concerning though, is that companies are tinkering with off-peak ticket restrictions, effectively forcing passengers into buying more expensive tickets.”
However, the chief executive of the Association of Train Companies is defending the changes. Michael Roberts said fares would rise by an average of 1.1 per cent, which is lower than the inflation rate predicted for this year. "The reality is that the vast majority of people travelling by rail will see a fall, no rise or an increase below inflation. By picking out changes that affect a small minority of people, Passenger Focus and the unions are giving a very partial impression," he said.
Meanwhile, Oyster smartcards can now be used at National Rail stations in Greater London from 2 January, but some Transport for London fares have risen in real terms.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Jon Brain, London, Britain
Needs someone with clout at the top who can impose a really simple fare structure. For phase 1 say something like:
Full price single / return / season - any train, any time as at present.
Saver single / return / season - cannot board / disembark / break journey except to change trains between 06:30 and 09:30 also 16:30 and 19:30. Cannot board a train which will arrive at destination before end of restricted period (i.e. to prevent abuse of change of train facility). Season ticket holders able to buy a supplement for odd days when travelling at restricted times.
Saver single / return same price as above but ticket restricted to specific train(s) (with compulsory reservation where available, for non-reservable trains must travel by next available train if unable to board specified train). I.E. allows a limited number of journeys at cheaper fare at restricted times.
Scrap railcards, but offer automatic discount for adult groups, mixed child / adult groupsr or disabled person traveling with companion.
For phase 2 change to a fare stage calculation with fare stages published in the timetable so anyone can add up the fare stages for their journey and work out the price. Some parts of the network would be 1 stage per mile others 10 stages per mile operator / load dependent. A higher priced route automatically allowing travel via any cheaper alternative route.
Phase 3 enable passenger to display valid trains / journey options by inserting ticket into ticket reader at station. Maybe even offer a discount on next journey if passenger does this at time of travel / or even on train - see 3a.
Phase 3a electronic readers for all on-train and station ticket inspection staff to provide TOCs with clearer loading and fare allocation information.
H Harvey, Birmingham
I have no doubt our 'privatised? railways will in fact are following Sleazyjet and RobberAir down the road of confuse the customer pricing.
How long will it be before luggage will be charged for as will use of the toilet and the railways will become the norm.
Seats will be advertised at £1 for Penzance to Thurso but there is only one seat and that is on days when Network Rail have the WC ML up for more maintenance in order to provide a 24/7service where 24 is the number of days in the month and 7 the number of hours in the day and even cheaper fares if you travel standing up outside the peak hours peak hours being defined as 11:00hrs to 14:00hrs and after 21:00hrs.
Privatisation was supposed to mean competition and a lower cost of capital not affected by government interference and lower prices for the fare payer.
The only competition I see is on who can offer the most confusing fares and who can offer the DfT the biggest bid for a franchise then negotiate a get out when the going gets tough having banked the profits in the good times.
Lets kick this silly pretence surrounding privatisation and frannchising a get back to a proper railway system that serves the public and comparing before and after privatisation costs a lot less to us all.
Joel Kosminsky, London, Britain
What a wonderful set of moving goalposts - last year the basis of the rise was defended on different grounds to this year's. When will the train companies stop trying to kid anyone - they're only in it for the money, the money, the money and ATOC is the mummy whose skirts they run to hide behind.