TravelWatch SouthWest
Newslog Monday April 28 2008

Rail ticket simplification

The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) has announced the simplification of rail fares by placing the current wide range of different ticket types into just three categories with easy-to-understand names.

From 18 May the existing large number of advanced purchase tickets will all be consolidated under the brand name of ‘Advance’ with common terms and conditions, including discounts for railcard holders. On 7 September unrestricted travel tickets, such as open singles and returns, will be renamed ‘Anytime’ tickets – from the same date discounted tickets with travel restrictions such as cheap day returns and savers will be called ‘Off-Peak’ tickets. On some routes where there are two different off-peak fares, the cheapest fare will be named ‘Super Off-Peak’.

New buses for the South West?

The region’s two largest bus operators, FirstGroup and Stagecoach, have both announced orders for a large number of new vehicles.

FirstGroup has announced an order of £125 million for the purchase of approximately one thousand new buses to be built by Wrightbus, a company based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Stagecoach has announced an order of £71 million for five hundred and eighty-four new buses – most of the order has been awarded to Alexander Dennis, the bus manufacturer based in Falkirk, Scotland.

Neither FirstGroup or Stagecoach has yet announced the identity of the local subsidiaries which will be the beneficiaries of these new orders.

New ticket restrictions for CrossCountry customers

CrossCountry have announced new restrictions on the availability of Saver tickets where the train operating company is responsible for the pricing between two stations – Saver tickets, priced by CrossCountry, will only be valid for travel after 0930hrs on Monday to Friday from 19 May. CrossCountry is also introducing a new first class off-peak ticket, the ‘First Saver Return’, at prices below the existing open fare.

New bus network for Swindon

Thamesdown Transport have announced that the company’s revised bus network for Swindon will be implemented from Tuesday 27 May – several changes have been made to the company’s original proposals following extensive consultation with passengers, stakeholders and user groups.

Fuel cost increase means higher bus fares

The Dorset independent bus company, Sureline, has announced fare increases on the routes between Weymouth, Dorchester and Yeovil (Services X37/212) from 21 July, due to the substantial increase in the cost of diesel. Sureline is now paying over fifty two per cent more for diesel than a year ago – fifteen months will have elapsed since the last fares increase on these inter-urban routes in April 2007. Sureline has lifted the threat to withdraw these two particular bus services from the end of the summer school term, but the company has stated that it may appeal to the Secretary of State for Transport concerning the reimbursement received from district councils in Dorset for providing free travel for concessionary card holders.

NedRailways is targeting move into South West bus market

NedRailways, the GB arm of the Dutch state rail operator NS, is poised to enter the South West bus market – opportunities in the South West are currently been evaluated. The Dutch company has a particularly strong reputation for stakeholder partnership and participation.

PlusBus doubles sales

Journey Solutions, the partnership responsible for the PlusBus bus and rail ticket has announced a ticket sales increase of one hundred per cent in the last year – 151.5k tickets were sold nationally in the last twelve months. PlusBus tickets can be purchased in connection with rail travel to and from the following thirty-nine stations in South West England:-

And finally (1),

Cornwall County Council has just published four area timetables giving details of the public transport services in the county from Sunday 27 April – the county council’s website is still publicising timetables with an expiry date of 26 April 2008 and continues to take orders for the Winter 2007/8 publications!

And finally (2),

A spokesman for First Great Western told the media that delays to the company’s trains between the West of England and London had been caused by over-running engineering work west of Westbury, Wiltshire – when asked by the media for the exact location of the incident, the FGW spokesman stated that it was ‘near Newbury!’ (over forty miles away!)