Fare Dealer
RAIL fares expert Barry Doe is upset that customer services give such a low priority to literacy levels.
IN many of my columns recently I have criticised errors in publicity or on operators’ websites, while in RAIL 833’s The Fare Dealer I explained how a recent survey had shown that the public has a very low perception of transport customer services.
A reader has sent me the worst example I have ever seen of a letter from an operator. Just part of one sentence reads: “I have issued two cheque for £49.90 that should arrive seperatly in the nect 28 days. I am sorry about the delay you experrienced and hope that next time you travel with us you have a more plesent journey.”
Sadly, it shows the low priority given to the skills of staff in such an important position - or perhaps that the operator doesn’t feel that sending letters to those who complain is all that important. It’s therefore hardly surprising if users form a low perception of customer services.
Next, to Northern which has announced that it now runs “two new weekday trains to and from Harrogate”. How many is that? I would say four. No, it’s actually one train to and from Harrogate.
Northern explains: “An additional service to Harrogate will run from Leeds at 6.23am, arriving at 6.50am. The extra service from Harrogate will depart at 6.59am and arrive at Leeds shortly after 7.25am.”
It is 53 years since the railways changed to the 24-hour clock. Yet, ignoring half-a-century of use, some bright spark decides it will be much clearer changed back to some oldfashioned system.
However, it’s far worse than that. Reading those words “shortly after 7.25am”, when would you say the train arrives in Leeds? 0726? Possibly 0727 at the latest? Actually, it’s 0734. Have you ever read such nonsense?
I have to end, as I usually do, by reminding readers that British Rail would not have tolerated this.
Moving on quickly to a better side of Northern: we all know how excellent its Rovers and Rangers are, and also how good the relevant publicity is. And the first-rate manager who oversees those products has just given me details of a new one.
The Cleveland Coast & Whitby Day Ranger is an unusual product. It offers unlimited rail travel (without time restriction) between Middlesbrough and Whitby/Saltburn, as well as on Arriva bus services in the Teesside and Cleveland bus zones and on services X4 and X93 between them. To see the bus zones, go to www.arrivabus.com.uk/north-east and look at three maps that
show the boundaries: Stockton-on-Tees; Middlesbrough & East Cleveland; and Whitby.
The Whitby zone is just the immediate town area, but the first two together cover from Stockton, Yarm and Eaglescliffe across to Middlesbrough, Guisborough, Saltburn and Loftus.
The X4 and X93 run from Middlesbrough to Whitby: the X4 half-hourly (hourly Sundays) runs via Redcar, Saltburn, Loftus and Staithes; the X93 an hourly fast via Guisborough in just over the hour (every two hours Sundays).
At present this ticket can only be bought on an Arriva bus in the area, but from later in the year it will become available from stations and on-train. The cost is £15 for an adult, £7.50 for a child, and £30 for two adults and up to two children. There are no railcard reductions.
Given the frequency of the buses and the links they offer to places not served by trains, this is a very attractive ticket.