VT-only fares from MKC

[Jan Buxton]

Neil Williams wrote:
> It seems that Virgin have introduced a set of Virgin Trains Only fares
> between MKC and EUS.

Not just that,

* Birmingham International to Rugby
* Birmingham New Street-Rugby
* Coventry to Rugby
* Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly
* London Euston to Milton Keynes
* Macclesfield to Manchester Piccadilly
* Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Wilmslow
or Stockport
* Milton Keynes to London Euston
* Rugby to Coventry, Birmingham International or Birmingham New Street
* Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly
* Wilmslow to Manchester Piccadilly

--
Jan

[MIG]

On Apr 3, 10:59*pm, wensleyd...@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil Williams)
wrote:
> It seems that Virgin have introduced a set of Virgin Trains Only fares
> between MKC and EUS. *This unusually includes an Anytime Day Single
> and Return (not that there are any trains to use one on in the evening
> peak!), as well as off-peak period and day returns and singles. *The
> Off-Peak Day Return undercuts LM by 50p, which I expect will make it
> extremely popular and will give LM an almighty kick up the backside.
>
> This, however, creates an odd situation where there now exist
> operator-specific tickets for *both* main operators, one of which must
> own the fares. *And I was of the understanding that the TOC owning the
> fares cannot set a TOC-specific walk-up fare.
>
> So how has this come about? *Grandfather rights for LM because there
> was (maybe?) an NSE-only ticket under BR?

I might consider an LM only ticket, because there's plenty of backup.
I can't imagine a few p less making it worth risking the TOC whose
trains are infrequent and usually at least half an hour late in the
southbound direction.

Having travelled south from MK a number of times in the evening, I am
sure that Virgin's delay and cancellation rate is worse than the worst
of LM's troubled recent past, at that time of day at least.

[Mizter T]

On Apr 3, 10:59*pm, wensleyd...@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil Williams)
wrote:
> It seems that Virgin have introduced a set of Virgin Trains Only fares
> between MKC and EUS. *This unusually includes an Anytime Day Single
> and Return (not that there are any trains to use one on in the evening
> peak!), as well as off-peak period and day returns and singles. *The
> Off-Peak Day Return undercuts LM by 50p, which I expect will make it
> extremely popular and will give LM an almighty kick up the backside.

Much less flexibility for a saving of 50p will be "extremely
popular"?! I assume an ironic smiley is implied rather than being
explicit!

[Roland Perry]

In message
<10bb7c92-92a8-41ad-baaf-71ade002b77c@f32g2000vbf.************.com>, at
15:39:45 on Fri, 3 Apr 2009, The Real Doctor <ian.groups@***************>
remarked:
>My assumption was that Virgin no longer set the fares between Milton
>Keynes Central and Euston

Correct, LMR set the fares.
--
Roland Perry

[JimmyMac]

On Apr 4, 8:04*am, wensleyd...@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil Williams)
wrote:
> Stockport? *That's particularly interesting, as don't Pendolinos only
> stop to set down northbound?

Not since the winter timetable started, AIUI.

Interesting to see that there is now a Virgin Trains only ticket
available between Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent. Cross Country changed
their ticket structure in summer last year, in effect abolishing the
previous Saver ticket and replacing it with a Day Return, meaning a
50% increase in price for the period return as you'd be forced to buy
two singles instead. I complained to VT originally, thinking they
would be in charge of the fares, but apparently XC controls this fare,
and they replied that it wasn't an issue because you can now buy two
single Advance tickets for each journey that would cost less than the
old Saver fare. Who would want to restrict oneself to a timetabled
departure on a 50 minute journey on which there are four trains an
hour though?

A shame that the new VT only ticket doesn't include a Saver return (or
whatever that is called these days) - however I'll probably make use
of those fares just to deprive Arriva of the income.

James

[Paul Scott]

"Roland Perry" <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote in message
newsUPCo7CQNx1JFAy0@perry.co.uk...
> In message
> <10bb7c92-92a8-41ad-baaf-71ade002b77c@f32g2000vbf.************.com>, at
> 15:39:45 on Fri, 3 Apr 2009, The Real Doctor <ian.groups@***************>
> remarked:
>>My assumption was that Virgin no longer set the fares between Milton
>>Keynes Central and Euston
>
> Correct, LMR set the fares.

But VT still control the Wembley Central stopping patterns for SN.
Complexity rules...

Paul

[MIG]

On Apr 4, 8:18*am, wensleyd...@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil Williams)
wrote:
> On Fri, 3 Apr 2009 17:39:16 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T <mizte...@**********>
> wrote:
>
> >Much less flexibility for a saving of 50p will be "extremely
> >popular"?! I assume an ironic smiley is implied rather than being
> >explicit!
>
> No, because for 50p *less* you can have a substantially *faster*
> train

That are always at least half an hour late or else cancelled whenever
I've tried to head south from MK in the afternoon.

Perhaps this time of day isn't indicative, and is when they bring
trains forward to provide the evening peak service, but it gives an
appalling impression to anyone who does travel south at that time.

[Roger Lynn]

I had got the impression from reading this group that Virgin didn't want
local passengers between London and MKC clogging up their long distance
services? Weren't there pick-up and drop-off restrictions at MKC at one
time?

Roger

[MIG]

On Apr 4, 10:56*pm, Roger Lynn <use...@rilynn.*************> wrote:
> I had got the impression from reading this group that Virgin didn't want
> local passengers between London and MKC clogging up their long distance
> services? Weren't there pick-up and drop-off restrictions at MKC at one
> time?
>
> Roger

There still are, but only for their empty trains with a higher
proportion of standard class.

[Charlie Hulme]

JimmyMac wrote:
> On Apr 4, 8:04 am, wensleyd...@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil Williams)
> wrote:
>> Stockport? That's particularly interesting, as don't Pendolinos only
>> stop to set down northbound?
>
> Not since the winter timetable started, AIUI.
>

Correct. And their cunning plan is now revealed!

Presumably the VT-only Stockport - Manchester tickets
are to Piccadilly only, not Manchester Stns (inc Oxford
Road or Deansgate) or CTLZ (Metrolink Central Zone?)

Not that The Metrolink Central Zone actually has any
tram service at all from 9 April for five (or six?)
months! A long time to re-lay a mile of track, you
might think.

Charlie