APPENDIX 6
Memorandum submitted by Mr Stuart Derwent
A CASE STUDY OF TRAVELLING FROM PRESTON PARK
(BRIGHTON) TO EVESHAM (WORCESTERSHIRE)
INTRODUCTION
During this year I have needed to travel to
Evesham in Worcestershire from Brighton on an approximately monthly
basis. It is a long drive of some two and a half hours with a
clear road, and my preference was to travel by train. Whilst this
takes considerably longer, it is more environment friendly; potentially
less stressful; and for a person travelling alone should be considerably
cheaper on a Day Return basis. A disadvantage is that you have
no car for use locally when you arrive.
THE PLANNED
ROUTE AND
THE FARES
My preference is to avoid London and therefore
my chosen route is from Preston Park to Gatwick Airport; Gatwick
Airport to Reading; and Reading to Evesham and the same route
by return. This involves using Thameslink; Great Western Link;
and Great Western.
Taking the 09:08 out of Preston Park and returning
on the 18:33 from Evesham, the National Rail Enquiries website
offers the following fares on a Senior Railcard basis:
Standard Day Return £27.60
Cheap Day Return £27.90
Saver Return £32.20
Saver Return £33.20
Standard Day Return £41.70
Saver Return £50.30
Standard Open Return £54.90
Standard Open Return £61.25
Standard Day Return £63.20
Standard Open Return £92.80
I have never investigated the intricacies of
each fare category although I am sure this is readily available
on the website. I have omitted the First Class options!
These fares are all offered for this precise
journey on the six trains involved—three each way. Some
other fares are offered for trains at different times of day.
I take the £24.30 Cheap Day Return bought
at the Preston Park Ticket Office.
THE REALITY
I have now completed this journey on five occasions.
On the first two occasions I bought the £24.30
ticket immediately before departure from Preston Park with my
Senior Railcard in fact for the 07.30 departure. On the third
occasion the Booking Office Clerk would not accept the use of
my Senior Railcard before 9 am. I had understood that as I was
not travelling through London that no time restriction applied.
I paid the greater amount and raised the issue with Southern (they
run the Preston Park Booking Office) subsequently.
The Senior Railcard leaflet states:
The Railcard discount isn't available on tickets
when journeys are made wholly within the London and South East
area (including all South West Trains services to and from London
Waterloo), on morning peak period services, Monday to Friday (not
including Public Holidays).
The times of morning off-peak services do
vary by route and are normally related to the availability of
Cheap Day tickets. It's best to check with ticket staff before
buying tickets.
It had never occurred to me that Evesham was
within the description of the London and South East area, and
it is certainly not in the normal usage of those words. However,
in a good customer service letter from Southern it was pointed
out that this area was defined in British Rail days and I was
sent a copy of a map showing the area—limited on the west
by Northampton, Worcester, Weymouth, and Exeter! This good letter
from Southern included—"I can understand your confusion
regarding the terms and conditions attached to the Senior Railcard.
It also apparently confuses some of our booking office staff."
I have suggested that the Senior Railcard leaflet could be reworded
to as a minimum make the London and South East area a title,
or refer to a map or the like.
A SIDE ISSUE
As I said earlier my planned journey involves
the use of trains operated by Thameslink, Great Western Link,
and Great Western. On only one of the five occasions has the journey
gone to plan mostly due to missed connections due to the single
track west of Oxford. This has meant that I have used Thameslink,
Great Western Link, Great Western, Virgin Trains, South West Trains,
and Southern. I am fascinated as to how they divvy up the fares!
CONCLUSION
The range of fares offered is ridiculous and
over-complicated, and the Senior Railcard leaflet is misleading.
I find the fares hard to follow, and I pity Booking Office Clerks
and overseas visitors in particular.
I hope this real case study is helpful. Changes
need to be made if we are to encourage the use of public transport
and we are all to reduce the use of our cars. Transport must be
looked at overall to ensure we get the right answer and any negatives
through pricing complications or price level all work against
the use of the rail network.
1 October 2005
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