Maynard on RPI and fares: "policies under review"

This PQ from Lilian Greenwood was answered today...

"To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2017 to Question 1538, on railways: fares, what plans he has to increase the cost of regulated rail fares by RPI plus zero per cent in 2018?"

Paul Maynard Answered on: 12 July 2017
"The Government recognises that the cost of travelling for rail passengers can seem high – this is why since 2014 we have taken action and capped the regulated rail fares at RPI+0%. 

"Train fare revenue is crucial to funding day-to-day railway operations and delivering the investment and massive upgrade programme currently underway, all of which passengers demand and expect.

"We of course keep policies under review."

Eye hopes an open mind means happier passengers!

Autumn statement on Fares

This from the Chancellor's Autumn Statement:

Rail Fares
1.272 To help households with living costs the government will further cap the average increase in regulated rail fares for the 2014 calendar year to RPI. This will benefit over a quarter of a million annual season ticket holders who will, on average in 2014, save £25. For instance, an annual season ticket from Chelmsford to London should be around £35 less in 2014 than it would have been without this change whilst an annual season ticket from Oxford to London should be around £45 less. This measure will complement the decision by the Mayor of London to cap the average increase in Transport for London fares at RPI for 2014.

1.273 Autumn Statement 2013 confirms that the permitted 'flex’ above the overall cap on average rail fares will be reduced to 2%. A commuter with a £2,000 season ticket could save up to £60 because of this measure, in a scenario in which the operator had chosen to apply the maximum permitted increase.
 
1.274 Autumn Statement 2013 also confirms a trial of flexible rail season ticketing that will take place in the South East. The innovative products being tested will benefit those who work flexibly or part-time.

Hmmm...

Putting aside the challenge of recalculating every fare before tomorrow, this is good news for passengers.
 
Note that our Chancellor even has a sense of humour - focusing on fares from Chelmsford, the home to erstwhile rail minister and the notoriously train-shy Simon Burns MP.

Greater Anglia colleagues, therefore, will be best placed to advise whether this particular policy innovation has been a success

ORR makes grab for fares regulation

This from Sue Persaver...

In her evidence at today's Transport Select Committee, Anna Walker, Chair of ORR suggested that she was keen to take on the role of regulating fares.

This is the same ORR who's summer consultation on freight suggested that an increase in charges leading to a 10% per annum reduction in traffic levels was perfectly acceptable.

Passenger Focus and Rail User Groups may wish to start panicking now.

Of course should Anna succeed in her audacious bid we may need to think up a new nickname for 'Right Price', her CEO.

Perhaps 'Price D'Off' would be a more fitting soubriquet?

DfT officially not in panic mode - Don't panic!!!

No hint of panic then in DfT's decision to announce a change to the planned January fares increase yesterday.

A Sunday.

A Sunday that followed the week where the government's entire franchising policy came crashing down around its ears. 

A Sunday that isn't the 5th of December, which is when the Autumn Statement is due to be given.

A Sunday that just happened to coincide with the start of the Tory Party conference.

A Sunday where the tiniest piece of good news would be embraced by the party faithful as a drowning man clutches at straw.

So no panic at all.

No indeedy, absolutely none at all.

In related news Eye understands that the Pope is no longer Catholic and bears have ceased defecating in woods.

Fares and InterCity West Coast

The Fact Compiler has been busy on Twitter today following the announcement of the RPI figures which equate to Ouch.

With the formula for January's rail fare increase being RPI+3 that equates to double Ouch!

Or, in new money, an average fare increase of 6.2%.

Where is Greening?

No matter.

Meanwhile, perhaps readers might like to savour the following musical interlude in advance of tomorrow's excitement.

Where is Greening?

It contains the following lines:

I would have given you all of my heart

but there's someone who's torn it apart

and she's taking almost all that I've got

Indeed!

Enjoy, or not!

And where is Greening?

We've had the circuses, time for the bread!

An interesting week, if the chattering classes are to be believed.

First (ahem) there is tomorrow's announcement on the size of the January fares increase (expected to be RPI plus Ouch).

Having had circuses over the last two weeks surely it is now time for the people to have bread as well? 

So let's see whether Greening has prevailed upon Gideon to throw passengers some stale crumbs by limiting the percentage increase over RPI? Eye doesn't advise holding your breath.

Also on the Horizon is the name of the InterCity West Coast franchise winner, with an announcement expected tomorrow or Wednesday.

Happily it looks as if managing irate passengers and shouty men with beards will fall to Cruella; as Cameron, Clegg and Greening are all taking a well earned post Olympic break.

Perhaps the postal service misplaced their invitation to the sun drenched delights of Necker Island? 

Revenue protection - Big Society style

Let this be a lesson to all those who wear beanie hats... (shurley fare dodge? Ed)



Good effort 'Big Man'!

McNulty - Transform Scotland gets it!

Exciting news for ScotRail passengers!

This press release from Transform Scotland...

Not so much a request as a dead certainty.

ATOC emasculates the All Line Rover

Good news from ATOC!

From January the All Line Rover, much used by the Noble Lord on his Pilgrimages of Grice, will have early morning restrictions placed on its use.

This from RailUK...

An ALR will not be valid on Mondays-Fridays for boarding or alighting train services operated by CrossCountry, East Coast, East Midlands Trains and Virgin Trains before 10.00 Mondays – Fridays at Birmingham New Street, Bedford, London Euston, London Kings Cross, London St Pancras, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, Milton Keynes Central, Stevenage and Watford Junction.

Needless to say the price will not be reduced to reflect this loss of flexibility.

According to posts on Twitter these peak restrictions effectively increase the price of the ALR by around 10-15% - that on top of a 15% increase introduced last year.

Regular readers will be aware that ATOC tried to introduce similar restrictions earlier this year, but following an outcry Bernard Street quickly relented.

No such worries this time round.

These restrictions are hardly likely to inconvenience Petrol-head, as he speeds about the country in his Jag.

UPDATE: This from Billy Connections...

So on the Virgin Trains restrictions I can't BOARD at Birmingham New Street but I can at Wolverhampton or Coventry or Birmingham International…??

Same for CrossCountry…??

I hope the grippers are quick or there could be a lot of confusion!

First million pound fare - Shocker!

Exciting news from the National Rail Enquiries website!

Regular Eye readers will recollect that ATOC was less than transparent when it announced the scale of fare increases last week.

A Mr Fergy-Lee has discovered the reason why...

And here in close-up...

Good to see the railway doing its bit to address the national debt.

ATOC fares spin unspun - again?

Last year ATOC decided that it would only announce a headline figure for the January 2010 fares increases.

Regular readers may recollect that this transparent approach went down well with hacks... in the manner of the Titanic.

Clearly unabashed ATOC has adopted exactly the same policy this year,

So how did it go?

Daily Telegraph: Corporate spinners at the Association of Train Operating Companies have adopted a strategy which is, to put it mildly, economical with the truth.

Financial Times: The Association of Train Operating Companies has declined to give a detailed breakdown of figures for different operators since 2008, and so the figure is likely to mask considerable local variations in fare increases.

Daily Mail: Labour MP Louise Ellman, who chairs the parliamentary transport select committee, criticised the companies’ ‘failure to disclose’ the true increases.

Evening Standard: Rail bosses were today accused of deliberately trying to hide fare increases of more than 10 per cent.

The Scotsman: News of the increases yesterday was accompanied by anger from rail watchdogs that passengers will be unable to find out how much individual tickets will rise until at least Sunday.

Channel 4 News: [ATOC]... gave no details of what the rise would be for each individual train company, nor did it break down the figures into regulated fares - which include season tickets and account for around 40 per cent of all fares - and unregulated fares.

Yorkshire Post: The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) attempted to put a gloss on the figures by confining itself to an announcement that average fares would rise 6.2 per cent

Metro: The Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) failed to break down the figures into regulated fares - which include season tickets and account for around 40% of all fares - and unregulated fares, and gave no details of what the rise would be for each individual train company.

ITN: Atoc's lack of information was criticised by the RMT and by rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus which said passengers "deserved to know how much they will have to bear in January".

So that went well then!

Of course Eye feels for individual TOC press officers who felt the full fury of annoyed hacks.

No matter.

Presumably ATOC hopes it will have the media hordes fully trained by next year.

Any bets on third time lucky?

UPDATE: This from a Hacked-off Hack...

Once again I'm astonished at ATOC's cowardice.

They say the present government is sticking to the previous administration's policy to cut the public sector's contribution to running the railways. But that's straightforwardly untrue.

In the CSR, the government announced average fare increases would be RPI + 3 per cent for three years from next year. That's a much more aggressive effort to claw back money from farepayers than was scheduled under Labour.

The policy isn't necessarily wrong - but why do ATOC have to mislead on the government's behalf?

UPDATE: This from Our International Correspondent

None of the transport hacks have understood.

The fares increase is essential to pay for improvements to train services...

Mostly those of Irish Rail.

UPDATE: This from Lobby Fodder...

Philip Hammond, at the Transport Select Committee, has just said that he would like ATOC to be more 'transparent' with fares announcements.

Bernard Street. This is Bernard Street. All change!

Villiers vignettes - fares increase explained

These sagely words from the Saviour of the Jammy Dodger spoken in the House on the 28th October:

Theresa Villiers (Minister of State (Rail and Aviation), Transport; Chipping Barnet, Conservative)
I am well aware of the concerns of users of the Southeastern franchise who have been asked to pay RPI plus three over the past few years. That was linked to investment in rolling stock, and the rest of the country will move on to RPI plus three to even out the perceived inequality from the year after next.

So now you know - the fares increase is to "even out perceived inequality".

Presumably Cruella is also determined to use these inflation busting fares increases to remove a further inequality by ensuring that the rest of the nation also benefits from "investment in rolling stock"?

Don't hold your breath.

With contributions such as this Eye now understands why the 'War On Toner' announcement was left to Theresa May...

Hammond promises 'easy to understand' fares

Exciting news from the Sunday Express...

TRANSPORT Secretary Philip Hammond has vowed to make rail fares easy to understand after he was caught out by the system.

Eye understands that Petrol-head plans to introduce three simpler fare types - 'Expensive', 'Bloody Expensive' and 'James, fire-up the Jag'.

SWT - stuff the passenger, bank the lolly

Good to see that SWT is maintaining its unrivaled reputation for dry shafting the passenger.

This nonsense via Yahoo:

A couple have had to pay a £114 fine after getting off a train two stops early.

Emma Clark and Davyd Winter-Bates were travelling to Southampton from London with South West Trains when they decided to get off two stops early at Eastleigh.

When they handed over their tickets at the station, they were told they were each being fined £57 because they had not stayed on the train until their destination.

The fine was twice the standard fare of £28.50.

Eye suggests that SWT should consider diversifying into the catering trade.

Using the same perverse 'revenue protection' logic they could then fine diners for failing to finish their meals.

Get a grip.

UPDATE: This from SharpSharp...

I run a coffee shop.

If I did a half price offer on americano's it would make them cheaper than espresso's. But if someone asked for an americano without the water I'd tell them they could have their usual espresso and that they should stop trying to pull a fast one.

When you buy advanced purchase tickets you don't have the option to change your plans and it is made very clear that they are valid only for the journey on the tickets.

If Emma and David were traveling to Eastleigh they should have purchased a ticket to Eastleigh.

UPDATE: This from Billy Connections...

I'm not sure why you have posted the anti-SWT rant - the couple were in breach of the terms and conditions of a special offer ticket they were sold - good on the SWT gripper for fining them.

Too many people here never consult terms and conditions of any

purchase and then assume that if they've made a mistake that they are still in the right.

Caveat Emptor!

UPDATE: This from Captain Auto...

Further to the furore:

Am I to assume that common sense on the part of ticketing staff is no longer to be encouraged?

Those who have replied are indeed entirely correct in their application of the standing rules and regulations.

I would suggest however that such heavy handed treatment of passengers (fare paying passengers, not ticketless scrotes intend on avoiding paying at all costs) is likely to damage both the reputation of SWT and ensure that the couple involved are unlikely to travel by train again.

I'm with TFC - a wonderful own-goal by the winners of Passenger Operator of the Year 2005*.

* What a difference a franchise change makes; they said they'd pay £1.2 billion in 2007. I suppose that £114 fine is at least going to cheer up the Treasury in some small way.

UPDATE: This from D0260...

I notice that SWT charged a couple £114 for getting off the train two stops early.

The question I would like to ask is:

Just how much would SWT have charged if the couple had failed to make the journey at all?

ConDems face fares conundrum

July's retail price index (RPI) inflation figure is 4.8%.

Train companies are allowed to increase regulated fares, including season tickets, by 1% above the July RPI.

So in January most regulated fares should increase by 5.8%.

Sadly South Eastern passengers suffer an RPI +3% increase to pay for the Javelin High Speed domestic services that errr... no one is using.

Meanwhile Petrol-head has indicated that locking regulated fares increases to RPI +1% cannot be guaranteed.

Which means that in January regulated fares could actually increase by more than 5.8%.

Happily in their pre-election manifesto the LibDems committed to reducing the cost of rail travel by changing the January fares formula to RPI -1%.

Now. Transport is supposed to be one of the red line areas for the Muesli Munchers in coalition.

So who will blink first - the Jag driving Petrol-head or power before principle Cleggy?

UPDATE: This from 37052...

What Petrol-head has overlooked is that the RPI/ fares increase is contractualised, so to raise fares by more he will need to negotiate a contract change with the TOCs.

Or I suspect DaFT will have to do it for him as he’s got a motor show to open, but the point is he’ll want to reduce the subsidy profiles accordingly.

Methinks the canny TOCs will drive a hard bargain and he won’t see as much moolah as he’s thinking he will!

Lookalike - Transport Policy

Good news indeed for rail user and pressure groups!

So after all the huff and puff it is evident that we are not all in this together and that ministers are no longer to think the unthinkable.


Now let's see how Cameroon and Petrol-head fair against the power of rail users.

Witch report on fares disowned by Doe!

This just in from fares expert Barry Doe, following the 'Which?' report on fares today...

I understand 'Which?' has just produced another report on rail fares.

This one seems to have come to some dubious conclusions.

'Which?' never says who the consultants are but there has always been a general assumption in the industry that I have been the author!

I have indeed produced all the past reports on rail fares for 'Which?' but can tell everyone that on this occasion I was not involved in any way.

Meanwhile, according to The Blah Witch Project...

Rail firms must "stop taking passengers for a ride" by charging first class fares on trains without first class carriages, Which? magazine has said.

Eye readers are invited to draw their own conclusions.

Caveat emptor - you have been warned!

UPDATE: This from @SWLines, via Twitter...

To be honest half the findings that they came to is crop.

Luton Airport - Wimbo much faster via EMT & SWT!

Fire sale at Arriva Cross Country

This from Crossed Lines...

More Arriva Cross Country fares madness after the 23rd May.

Having taken a right royal kicking for the UK's first £1k+ rail fare which no one bought (No shit Sherlock. Ed) it would appear that Arriva Cross Country have retreated into the bunker.

The latest fares manual reveals that they have capped all First class Open Returns at £640!.

A few examples…

• Exeter St Davids to Edinburgh – now £665.00, on 23 May £640.00 (3.76% decrease)
• Bristol Temple Meads to Aberdeen – now £704.50, on 23 May £640.00 (9.16% decrease)
• Newquay to Kyle of Lochalsh – beginning of year £1068, on 23 May £640.00 (40.07% decrease)
• Newquay to Kyle of Lochalsh – now £921.00, on 23 May £640.00 (30.51% decrease)
• Penzance to Wick – now £934.00, on 23 May £640.00 (31.48% decrease)

Presumably this more than generous discount, on tickets no one has bought, is supposed to be penance for not providing the promised WiFi, etc...

UPDATE: This from Barry...

Having just had a quick look at the NFM05 data on The Manual, it's not just the FOR that's been capped.

The SORs have been capped at £420.

Or, to put it another way, the most you'll pay for an Anytime Return is £10 less than the relevant 7 Day All Line Rail Rover.

UPDATE: This from @SWLines....

Congratulations are surely due to The Thin Controller.

This means that nationalised East Coast (prop Lord Adonis) now offers the UK's most expensive ticket.

This being a £749 First Open Return via London on the Newquay to Kyle of Lochalsh route.

Arriva XC - Stable, horse, bolted

This from @SWLines, via Twitter...

XC have definitely reduced the NQY - KYL fare and everything derived from it.

It's now £921.

Too late - the £1,000 fare has already entered folklore. (with a bowler tip to @PlanetAl)

UPDATE: From Steve Strong...

Now that Lord Adonis has sorted out Cross Country fares can he please hold them to their franchise commitments.

Still no WiFi aboard Arriva XC despite a franchise promise to deliver it by 11th November 2009!

UPDATE: This from @SWLines...

@TheFactCompiler got another missing franchise commitment.

XC don't do at seat catering north of EDB/west of PLY.

In fact, they withdrew it!

UPDATE: This from Billy Connections:

Here's a whole list of things XC promised to do...

Introduction of five High Speed Train (HST) sets each with eight state-of-the-art refurbished coaches (total of 550 seats per set), providing longer trains with more seats and luggage space on the major North East-South West route...

Errr... all HSTs reduced by one vehicle and only 2 in daily service - plus two hired to East Coast at the moment...

High quality service on board:

• introduction of at-seat catering, reflecting customer preferences
• Wi-Fi access for all seats on all HSTs and Voyagers, and improved mobilephone reception on Voyagers
• hot plated food available to First Class passengers
• three members of staff providing on board service on long distance trains

Errr... Catering? Plated food?? Three members of staff???

More like microwaved food on cardboard or plastic containers, not a plate in site, and never seen more than one member of staff in First Class.

And Wi-Fi is not just invisible on the Voyagers but nowhere to be seen on the HSTs either!

So much for The Thin Controller's promise to be tough on ANY franchise which doesn't meet its commitments.

Come on Adonis - with just 8 days to go there may be votes in a breach notice!

Man loses shirt off back for rail tickets! - Official!

This from News:Lite...

Man tattooed with train logo... for free rail tickets

Story here.