Reasons why Railcard conditions need simplifying
THE ‘All the Stations’ programmes ( www. allthestations.co.uk) have done an immense amount to popularise our railways - certainly equalling Michael Portillo’s TV series, although in quite a different way.
I found myself captivated by the approach of Geoff Marshall and Vicki Pipe ( RAIL 834), so was pleased when Geoff asked me to check a chart he had constructed showing the conditions attached to National Railcards.
Understanding Virgin’s online fares
In RAIL 839’s The Fare Dealer, I explained how it’s possible to buy a cheap walk-on Off-Peak single at half the OP Return on both Virgin websites, but only as part of a return journey.
On the West Coast site, it’s half the OP Return (coded SVH). But on the East Coast, it’s half their Super OP Return (SSH). However, a reader noted that the Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) options are even cheaper, because they’re not half the Super OP Return but half the Super OP Single.
As an example, London-Leeds is £106.20 Super OP Return or £105.20 single. On the fares database, the online single - if bought as part of a return journey - is therefore £53.10. But in reality, the fare offered on the VTEC website is £52.60 (and coded SSU) - only half the single.
I queried this with VTEC, and was told it was always VTEC’s intention to mirror Virgin West Coast’s (VWC’s) long-standing SVH offer. However, as each operator used different web providers it proved problematical.
VWC uses ‘Trainline’, which had no difficulty retailing SVH only as part of a return journey. But VTEC used ‘Worldline’ and then (more recently) ‘VIX’.
For technical reasons neither was able to successfully retail the SSH product, so various tweaks have been applied and currently the system has to discount the single by 50%.
National Rail Enquiries doesn’t sell tickets but only quotes fares - using the fares database - so says the single is £53.10. But when you proceed to buy it passes you to VTEC, which you’ll find comes up with the lower fare of £52.60 instead.
It’s all minor and in the passenger’s favour, but could be perplexing - so it’s worth understanding the reasons.
In doing so, it forcibly struck me how very complicated the conditions are. And I wonder if it’s necessary to have so many variations.
We must accept that revenue extraction has to be prevented. Indeed, were it not for that, there would be no need for railcards and instead fares in general could simply be lowered.
When introduced, railcards offered half fare, rather than today’s 34% discount. I recall an amusing letter to the editor of a magazine some 30 years ago, saying that rather than having a series of railcards for various segments of the population, each offering half fare, it would be far easier for British Rail to halve its fares, abolish all the railcards and replace them with just one - a ‘Businessman’s Railcard’ (sic) allowing the holder to pay double fare!
This is, in effect, what is happening by allowing those aged up to 25 and over 60, or those travelling with children, to enjoy a discount while ensuring those aged from 26 to 59 travelling alone have to pay full fare.
The Network Railcard remains an anomaly, being available to anyone of any age. Is there a reason why it works off-peak in the huge London & South East area it covers, but wouldn’t work for all the country (albeit at a higher price)? The industry is afraid to innovate, despite more recently introducing the (national) Two Together Railcard.
However, why should there be so many minor variations in the conditions, which make it hard for staff - let alone users - to appreciate the differences?
16-25, Disabled Persons’ and Forces are the only three to have no time restriction. Gold Cards are from 0930, but (amazingly) Two Together is from 0931! Network Railcard is from 1000.
More ridiculous are the Senior and Family & Friends, both of which have no time restriction except for journeys wholly within the Network
Railcard area, when you have to wait until the OP Day Return becomes available. Fancy having a restriction on a railcard, whereby users have to refer to the map of another railcard to find if their ticket is valid!
Not only that, the anomalies it creates are vast. Turn up at Weymouth for the 0550 to Waterloo, ask for an Anytime Day Return to London and show a Senior Railcard, and you’ll be told: “Sorry, that railcard’s not valid until the 0650, so it’ll be £124.50.”
Ask instead for an OP Return (Saver) to Rugby and show a Senior Railcard and you’ll be told: “That’ll be £63.10.” The journey is to outside the Network Railcard area so the railcard is valid, and so too is the ticket to Rugby, as its only restriction is ‘not out of Euston until 0927’.
The result? You can get off at Waterloo having paid around half the fare - and Virgin Trains and London Midland get a cut for NOT carrying you, should you be perverse enough just to want London!
I could go on. Accompanying children are necessary with the Family & Friends Railcard; they travel for 19% of the adult fare with the Forces, Gold Card and Network Railcards (but aren’t necessary); but are excluded from the Senior or Two Together Railcard.
Accompanying adults get the 34% discount with Family & Friends, Gold Card and Network Railcards, but not with Forces, Senior or Two Together.
There’s more: all railcards allow reductions on First Class fares except for Family & Friends and Network, but with the ludicrous complications that a 16-25 railcard only gives reductions in First Class on Advance fares, while a Gold Card offers reductions on all First Class fares except for Advance!
Were all these thought through? No. In truth, the railcards were all introduced at different times over many years, each as a standalone product.
So, here’s something the Rail Delivery Group could and should do: come up with a standard set of conditions for all railcards with just minor variations to protect revenue. Let all of them allow discounts for accompanying adults and children, and in First Class as well as Standard.
Clear the clutter and make them comprehensible. That in itself will attract usage.