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Post by Swadbus on Jun 6, 2014 11:43:40 GMT
Information from various colleagues and other forums indicates that (for those staff fortunate enough to have it) that staff PRIV discount will be available for use when purchasing off-peak rail tickets from 3rd September 2014.
It's unclear if this will also apply to super-off-peak tickets too.
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Post by londonbusboy on Jun 6, 2014 18:48:49 GMT
i might be being stupid but what is PRIV?
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Post by snoggle on Jun 6, 2014 20:53:06 GMT
i might be being stupid but what is PRIV? It is an abbreviation for "privilege facilities". These are a discount on rail tickets, some Rover Tickets and seasons for employees of British Rail and London Transport who were in service before BR was abolished and the railway was privatised. The discount is 75% but only off "ordinary" fares which are always the most expensive tickets - especially long distance. People who worked for BR also get privilege facilities on a big range of European Railways but LT staff never have. Depending on your grade you may have got a First Class privilege discount plus a number of free tickets on the BR network. BR employees also got a 75% discount on LT tube services but not buses (a running sore with some railway employees who still moan to this day). You can get a priv PAYG discount set on an Oyster Card for cheaper rail, tube and DLR fares if you have the right entitlement. Clearly the discount on season tickets is worth a lot of money to those people who kept it. Many TOCs offer free travel on their own services (or those in the same ownership group) to post privatisation employees. Clearly, though, this is not as generous as existed under BR and there is no great impetus amongst the TOCs to offer something better. One or two TOCs have negotiated deals with TfL to offer Tube privs to their employees who joined post privatisation. I have privilege facilities but ordinary fares for any sort of long distance travel are ludicrously high meaning that even with the discount they cost more than Advance tickets. I certainly cannot afford to pay privilege fares to places like Manchester or Newcastle or even Bristol and it's why I have barely travelled on a long distance train for years. I also can't commit to advance tickets months in advance in order to get a reasonable fare. Depending on how the new discount facility works and what fares it applies to then I may able to travel a bit more. There is little point in offering a facility for employees (and retired staff) where its value has diminished to almost zero because of the perverse way in which fares are now priced. I'd be interested to know where the push for this new change has come from but I'm pleased it's happening although it's rumoured on Rail Forums it's only a 1 year trial. |
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Post by Swadbus on Aug 15, 2014 11:18:41 GMT
Information from various colleagues and other forums indicates that (for those staff fortunate enough to have it) that staff PRIV discount will be available for use when purchasing off-peak rail tickets from 3rd September 2014. It's unclear if this will also apply to super-off-peak tickets too. This morning ATOC have confirmed that PRIV rate pass holders can continue to get the usual 75% off Anytime Tickets, and from 7th September 2014 this will also apply to off-peak and super-off-peak tickets as well. A massive improvement for those with rail staff travel facilities!  ATOC: Rail Staff Travel |
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