From 6 September FGW will introduce new restrictions on its cheapest off-peak return tickets for people travelling between the west of England and London.

This means some customers will either have to travel later in the day or pay more for their journey. Off-peak single ticket prices will be reduced.

The price rises have been criticised by groups representing passengers.

FGW spokesman Dan Panes said the price rises were needed to achieve a more even spread of passengers throughout the day.

"One of our challenges is to balance the need to encourage more customers to use our services while generating more income and managing capacity on our busy trains," he said.

'Legalised mugging'

Chris Irwin, the chairman of TravelWatch SouthWest, said: "We welcome the cut in the price of off-peak single tickets. But we deplore FirstGroup's decision to restrict the availability of the cheapest turn-up-and-go return tickets.

"Hard-pressed passengers will be priced off the trains. This is legalised mugging: the government must change its rules."

Under the changes which are due to come into effect in September, passengers travelling from Bristol to London who currently use the 0900 BST train at a return cost of £49 will have to pay £59.

Ashwin Kumar, Passenger Focus director, said: "Passengers who have to travel at these times will find it hard to believe they are being asked to pay such increases when inflation is so low.

"This comes on top of First Great Western increasing their car-parking charges by 25%."

See also:

Many face 20% Off-Peak fare rises on First Great Western

Passenger Focus: 13.08.2009

First Great Western (FGW) is set to introduce new restrictions on its cheapest Off-Peak tickets which will mean many passengers travelling into London in the morning and out of London in the afternoon will see their fares rise by 20%.

On Sunday 6 September, FGW will replace its Off-Peak ticket with a new Super Off-Peak fare at the same price but with much tighter time restrictions. A 20% more expensive Off-Peak fare will be introduced to cover times excluded by the new Super Off-Peak rules. Off-Peak single journeys and a small number of peak journeys will become cheaper but car-parking charges will go up by 25% and Advance tickets bought at the ticket office will go up by 11%.

Ashwin Kumar, Passenger Focus director, said: “This adds even more complexity to an already complicated system. Passengers who have to travel at these times will find it hard to believe they are being asked to pay such increases when inflation is so low. This comes on top of First Great Western increasing their car-parking charges by 25%.

“The reduction in Off-Peak single fares at least allows passengers to mix and match different ticket types in one return journey. But passengers shouldn’t have to wade through a forest of complexity to get the best deal. Families with children wanting a day out in London will be particularly hard hit as the new Super Off-Peak ticket doesn’t allow a return from London between 3 and 7pm.

“These changes expose the fact that the Off-Peak fare regulation introduced at the time of privatisation does nothing to stop train companies progressively reducing the times at which we can use these tickets.”

These changes have come to light just before the 18 August announcement on inflation which will determine next year’s increases in regulated fares. Many believe the Retail Prices Index will be negative forcing train operators to lower their prices next year.

Examples

Passengers travelling from Penzance to London can currently use the 5.41am train arriving at 11.23am at a cost of £83. To make the same journey in September, it will cost £100 and the earliest Super Off-Peak fare will not arrive in London until 15.23 some four hours later.

Passengers travelling from Swansea to London can currently use the 07.59am train arriving at 11.02am at a return cost of £66. To make the same journey in September, it will cost £80 and the earliest Super Off-Peak fare will not arrive in London until midday, 58 minutes later.

Passengers travelling from Bristol Temple Meads to London can currently use the 9.00am train arriving at 10.39am at a return cost of £49. To make the same journey in September will cost £59 and the earliest Super Off-Peak fare will not arrive in London until 11.40am some 61 minutes later.

Passengers travelling from Pewsey to London can currently use the 8.09am train arriving at 9.21am at a return cost of £31. To make the same journey in September will cost £37 and the earliest Super Off-Peak fare will not arrive in London until 14.44pm some five hours later.

Ends

Notes to editors:
1. Media enquiries regarding this release should be addressed to:
Krista Hamblin
Press Officer
Telephone: 0300 123 0821
E-mail krista.hamblin@passengerfocus.org.uk

See also:

RAIL FARE RULES ‘LEGALISED MUGGING’

TravelWatch SouthWest, the public transport passenger ‘watchdog’ for the South West of England, is calling on the Government to block the latest round of rail fare increases. Many fares on the most heavily used off-peak rail services operated by First Great Western will go up by over 20% from Sunday, 6th September.

First Great Western, the company that holds the franchise to operate most of the trains in the South West, is restricting the availability of ‘regulated’ fares1 – the cheapest ‘turn-up-and-go’ fares – by manipulating the rules for train companies laid down by the Government. Train operators are not allowed to set the price of these ‘regulated’ fares. However, they can limit their use by putting tighter restrictions on the times at which they can be used. Many passengers then have to buy more expensive tickets or are priced off the trains altogether, thereby relieving over-crowding and the need to acquire expensive additional rolling stock.

The new restrictions mean that, in future, some passengers using cheaper ‘turn-up-and-go’ regulated fares will no longer be able to get to London before mid-afternoon – more than five hours later than now (See table2, below).

On a more positive note, First Great Western will be introducing ‘turn-up-and-go’ travel on a limited number of ‘shoulder-of-peak’ services – typically those timed to arrive towards the end of the extended morning and evening peak periods. These new, intermediate tickets, offering a substantial saving on undiscounted peak fares, will cost 20% more (See table3, below) than the regulated Super Off-Peak tickets. The company is also cutting the price of its off-peak single tickets.

Chris Irwin, the Chair of TravelWatch SouthWest said:
“These fare changes attempt to disguise some very bad news for passengers with a dash of good news. We welcome the cut in the price of off-peak single tickets. But we deplore FirstGroup’s decision to restrict the availability of the cheapest turn-up-and-go return tickets. Hard-pressed passengers will be priced off the trains. This is ‘legalised mugging’: the Government must change its rules.”

The influential House of Commons Transport Committee has repeatedly criticised Government policy on rail fares. In 2006 it concluded that rail travel was poor value for money and that the complexity of fares was “an insult to the passenger”4. The Committee again condemned the rail fares’ system earlier this year. It said that the companies “have taken advantage of the (fare rise) mechanism to raise fares at the worst possible moment and to a level which is out of proportion to the real economy”5.

Notes for Editors:

1 Under the present rail franchising system more than half of all rail fares are ‘regulated’ by the Government. These include off-peak tickets as well as season tickets. Prices vary each year in line with a formula set by the Government of retail price index inflation (or deflation) plus 1%. ‘Unregulated’ fares - such as turn-up-and-go fares that can be used at any time of day and Advance Purchase fares - are set at the commercial discretion of the train companies. In recent years ‘unregulated fares’ have risen much faster than ‘regulated’ fares.

2: COMPARISON OF CURRENT AND FUTURE TIMES OF EARLIEST LONDON ARRIVAL TIMES FOR PASSENGERS TRAVELLING WITH CHEAPEST ‘TURN-UP-AND-GO’ RETURN TICKETS

Origin Chelt' Bristol P'y Bath Pewsey Exeter St D Plymouth Penzance
Cheapest turn-up-and-go return £47 £49 £49 £31 £65 £72 £83
First direct train pre 06/09/09 08.31 09.32 09.13 08.09 08.40 07.47 05.51
Arrival at London Paddington 10.37 11.02 10.39 09.21 11.40 11.25 11.25
First direct train post 06/09/09 09.40* 10.32 10.13 13.21 09.57 10.44 10.00
Arrival London Paddington 12.00* 12.00 11.40 14.44 12.25 13.44 15.23
Delay to Arrival 2.23* 0.58 1.01 5.23 1.45 2.19 3.58


3 COMPARISON OF FARES
Origin Cheapest turn-up-and-go return New ‘unregulated’ Off-Peak Return % Fare Increase

Gloucester £47 £56 19%
Bristol Parkway £49 £59 20%
Bath Spa £49 £59 20%
Pewsey £31 £37 19%
Taunton £60 £72 20%
Exeter St Davids £65 £78 20%
Paignton £69 £84 22%
Plymouth £72 £86 19%
Penzance £83 £100 20%

4Transport Committee, Sixth report of Session 2005-06, How fair are the fares? Train fares and ticketing.

5 Transport Committee, Eighth report of Session 2008-09, Rail Fares and franchises

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT CHRIS IRWIN, CHAIR OF TRAVELWATCH SOUTHWEST ON:
07900 218 290, or 01380 860 252
OR JENNY RAGGETT ON: 01225 867351, or 07825 542 123
www.travelwatchsouthwest.org