Chiltern Railways have announced details of the compensation they will
offer to passengers affected by the tunnel collapse at Gerrards Cross.
http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/content.php?ID=68

It appears half-price tickets are now available for certain journeys!

"If you've travelled with us since 2 July, most tickets will be
entitled to a 50% refund if they would normally be valid to, from or
through High Wycombe/Beaconsfield/Seer Green & Jordans/Gerrards Cross.
From 21 July, until further notice, this discount will be applied at
ticket offices for affected journeys, so you won't need to make a
separate claim."

However, there is a "sting in the tail"

"Because of the discounted fares now being offered, from Thursday 21
July our tickets will NO LONGER be accepted on any other rail routes.!

Paul Harley

-- 
Remove "eeek" to contact me!

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 23:14:07 +0100, Paul Harley
 wrote:


>"Because of the discounted fares now being offered, from Thursday 21
>July our tickets will NO LONGER be accepted on any other rail routes.!


I'm guessing VT have been getting bored of having their yield
management messed up by cheap Chiltern tickets being used on their
services.  I note that WCML validity ceased some time ago.

Incidentally, I recall that Brum-London cheap tickets still exist for
Central+Silverlink.  With the coming of the Desiros, this may itself
become a very attractive, if slow, option.

That aside, Any Permitted tickets will, one assumes, remain valid as
usual.  Those travelling from Banbury and points north can presumably
use whatever services they wish, presuming they haven't bought a
CH-only ticket, and any dual-availability seasons that may previously
have existed presumably still do.

Neil

-- 
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 22:17:26 GMT, wensleydale@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil
Williams) wrote:

>>"Because of the discounted fares now being offered, from Thursday 21
>>July our tickets will NO LONGER be accepted on any other rail routes.!
>
>I'm guessing VT have been getting bored of having their yield
>management messed up by cheap Chiltern tickets being used on their
>services.  I note that WCML validity ceased some time ago.


But hang on a sec, the announcement says:

"If you've travelled with us since 2 July, most tickets will be
entitled to a 50% refund if they would normally be valid to, from or
through High Wycombe / Beaconsfield / Seer Green & Jordans / Gerrards
Cross. From 21 July, until further notice, this discount will be
applied at ticket offices for affected journeys"

Since Any Permitted tickets are normally valid through Gerrards Cross,
does that mean you can buy one at half price then use it on the WCML?

asdf wrote:

> On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 22:17:26 GMT, wensleydale@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil
> Williams) wrote:
> >>"Because of the discounted fares now being offered, from Thursday 21
> >>July our tickets will NO LONGER be accepted on any other rail routes.!
> >
> >I'm guessing VT have been getting bored of having their yield
> >management messed up by cheap Chiltern tickets being used on their
> >services.  I note that WCML validity ceased some time ago.
>
> But hang on a sec, the announcement says:
>
> "If you've travelled with us since 2 July, most tickets will be
> entitled to a 50% refund if they would normally be valid to, from or
> through High Wycombe / Beaconsfield / Seer Green & Jordans / Gerrards
> Cross. From 21 July, until further notice, this discount will be
> applied at ticket offices for affected journeys"
>
> Since Any Permitted tickets are normally valid through Gerrards Cross,
> does that mean you can buy one at half price then use it on the WCML?


Nice try, but no. Its "route High Wycombe" tickets that are subject to
the discount.

Tickets from Banbury-Leamington-Stratford  were always availiable via
High Wycombe into Marylebone or via Oxford into Paddington when Thames
were running to Staratford, i cant see any reason why that would have
changed yet.
You probably can buy "route High Wycombe" tickets from these stations
at a discounted rate, but its been so long since i dealt with tickets
ive lost all track.

On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 11:11:38 UTC, "Minna Daisuki Katamari Damacy" 
 wrote:

: > Since Any Permitted tickets are normally valid through Gerrards Cross,
: > does that mean you can buy one at half price then use it on the WCML?
:  
: Nice try ...

YADHAICMFP

Ian

On 26 Jul 2005 04:11:38 -0700, "Minna Daisuki Katamari Damacy"
 wrote:


>Nice try, but no. Its "route High Wycombe" tickets that are subject to
>the discount.


What about tickets from, say, Bicester North[1], where High Wycombe is
the only sensible route (Aylesbury will take quite a bit longer), but
no route appears on the ticket?

I also note, with disappointment, that YP Railcard holders will get a
much smaller discount, and that child fares are undiscounted.

[1] Perhaps stupidly, or at least until the Town service is
withdrawn[2], there are no "Bicester Stns" tickets.
[2] I give it two timetable periods of the peak-only service at most.

Neil

-- 
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

On 26 Jul 2005 04:11:38 -0700, "Minna Daisuki Katamari Damacy"
 wrote:


>> Since Any Permitted tickets are normally valid through Gerrards Cross,
>> does that mean you can buy one at half price then use it on the WCML?
>
>Nice try, but no. Its "route High Wycombe" tickets that are subject to
>the discount.


Ah well, at least WCML passengers who have recently taken advantage of
the validity of cheap Chiltern tickets will be able to claim back a
further discount of half what they paid :)

Presumably the Chiltern passengers are receiving compensation because
Tesco (or their contractors) will be paying rather than Network Rail or
Chiltern Trains. Contrast that with rail users in the Stockport area
(myself included) who have had no service at weekends (and sometimes
mid-week) for much of the last few years due to the WCML upgrade work,
but haven't received a penny in compensation.

malc wrote:


> Presumably the Chiltern passengers are receiving compensation because
> Tesco (or their contractors) will be paying rather than Network Rail or
> Chiltern Trains. Contrast that with rail users in the Stockport area
> (myself included) who have had no service at weekends (and sometimes
> mid-week) for much of the last few years due to the WCML upgrade work,
> but haven't received a penny in compensation.
> 


Quite.

I think that everyone with a season-ticket for a route passing through
Stockport should get a voucher for a free trip on a Virgin service: it
would be pleasant gesture from VT for all the inconvenience
we've been put to.

Charlie