Latest commitments from First Great Western

Mon 24 Nov 2008, 11:16

I need to correct some inaccuracies in recent posts -

Peak fares are going up by 6% *on average*. This is a Government directive which all TOCs have to follow....the Government wants the traveller to pay more to reduce the taxpayers (that's you & I too) subsidy to the railway by 40% by 2014. It does represent RPI (based on July 08 figure of 5%) plus 1%. However, train companies have some leeway and individual fares can rise by + or - 5% on that RPI+1 figure - so the maximum could be 11% and the minimum 1%.

FGW have stated that their peak fares will rise by less than 10% with most around the 6% required by Government.

Off-peak & advance fares are unregulated and can rise by whatever the TOCs think they can get away with. FGW average is 6.6%.

These rises are due to take effect on 2nd January 2009.

On the subject of the double-discount for season ticket renewals, this was only implemented for 12 months and comes to an end on 26th January 2009. Where the discount ordinarily would be 5% as the puntuality figure is below target, it was doubled to 10%. For anyone whose ticket expires soon after 26th January, you might consider renewing early to gain the extra discount.

It is going to take some trime for the London & Thames Valley punctuality figure to climb above the target - indeed, I doubt FGW will achieve this until after the re-doubling, which is why FGW want this done asap. So for the time being, the 5% discount will continue.

FGW realise that they can still do better, and thus announced a while ago that the double-discount won't disappear altogether, and for a further 12 months from the 27th January, will be offering an extra 50% (rather than double, or 100%) discount - so the 'normal' 5% will become 7.5% from 27th January 2009 to 26th January 2010.

The recent cases of trains being diverted away from the Cotswold Line have been down to disruption elsewhere on their network meaning displacement of crew - the only crew being available weren't knowledgeable of the Cotswold route, hence it was either a cancellation or re-route choice. This disruption, if I remember correctly, was down to a freight train derailment on the West of England route, so can hardly be blamed on FGW. The earlier comments about leaf fall are correct - this has been a major problem over the last few weeks.