MSE News: The train firms that charge evening peak fares from 3pm

epm-84

minerva_windsong wrote: »

How to solve overcrowding - fewer first class carriages! I don't understand why Virgin, for example, need their trains to have four first class carriages, as generally when I travel (at a peak time on a Friday afternoon) they don't have enough passengers in first class to fill one. Two is probably more than enough, and then convert two carriages that are currently first class into standard class. And on that note, I think £15 for an upgrade to first class at the weekend is over the odds, so my suggestion would be drop it to a tenner and/or add the option to upgrade for the same price at non-peak times in the week.

It's because 1st class is very profitable for Virgin, while standard class at off-peak times is a loss leader.

Virgin can't even fill up standard class on most London-Manchester services and they forced Northern Rail and London Midland to cut back their services so that London-Manchester could see more services.

Also if you have a railcard you can dodge paying over the odds - I had an interview in London on Tuesday, came back to Lancashire on the 4:57 from Euston (ie smack bang in the middle of 'peak' time) and still got the train for £46 return due to having my railcard. Obviously that doesn't apply to everyone, but it's useful information to know.

Only works with Virgin though. It doesn't apply with other companies like TransPennine Express.

epm-84

Roustabout wrote: »

Also if I ever had to stand on a train I would go and sit in 1st class and if the attendant didnt like it he would have to get me arrested.

A decent conductor will declassify 1st class if there's empty room and a lot of people standing in standard, but they don't have to. Also, they can move you back to standard class if the train empties out later on.

Haarlem

I see Grand Central are designating certai early trains os "off peak" during September as a promotion.

MiserlyMartin

"yet the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) claims 'four out of five passengers are happy with their journey'"

Well then you know that is rubbish. Do you know any commuter who is happy with their journey? I drive into London because it is reliable, cheaper and I can come and go when I choose and not have to rely on a hit and miss service.

Mids_Costcutter

Simon11 wrote: »

If government were to be more flexible with TOC's contracts, it would lead to far lower overcrowding such as allowing the railway companies to change the pricing of Anytime and Off Peak fares.

That might help a little, but don't most of the problems described in this thread stem from the privatised and fragmented organisation of rail transport in the UK? How much more expensive is train travel here than in other European countries (for the tax-payer and the passenger) because there isn't one public sector organisation responsible for track and other infrastructure and one responsible for operation of passenger rail services? I wouldn't blame someone working for a TOC: they're commercial companies and they have to make a profit. Ultimately the problem is of course down to the government who are not prepared to undertake fundamental restructuring.

minerva_windsong

bunking_off wrote: »

That one is a particular irritation. I hate being in the situation where I've had to pay full fare on a morning peak train (£135 single!!), but am sat next to OAP travelling for £30 on their senior railcard. I have to travel at that time to get to a business meeting, and the justification for the extreme fare is because the train's overcrowded. Is it really necessary for the pensioner to travel at that time, versus waiting a while? Perhaps there should be a discount against the full fare for senior cards, rather than peak travel at off-peak pricing?

Nothing against pensioners, it's just that it can't be good for the economy as a whole...

How have they managed to get that for £30?! I thought railcards didn't get you any discounts on a train leaving before 9:30 on a weekday. Unless that only applies to the 16-25 railcard and not to the Seniors one...

dzug1

minerva_windsong wrote: »

How have they managed to get that for £30?! I thought railcards didn't get you any discounts on a train leaving before 9:30 on a weekday. Unless that only applies to the 16-25 railcard and not to the Seniors one...

There are no time restrictions on the senior railcard except on journeys in the London area (very loosely defined....)

And Virgin trains do allow at least some railcard holders peak hour travel at off peak prices