378301 Newsletter 348 - ATOC's Travel Agent Website

NNewsrai lE X P R E S S

WEEK ENDING 8 September 2007

ITEM FORTRAIN

COMPANY ONRETAIL TRAIN TRAVEL

ITEM SUBJECT OUTLETS STAFF AGENTS

National Rail information is listed first, followed by Train Company information in

alphabetical Train Company order. Further items follow in alphabetical contributor order.

*To be read by Retail Staff, On-Train Staff and Travel Agents where appropriate.

348

1 National RailGroupSave from 9 September2007

2 National RailNew PLUSBUS stations from 9 September 2007

3 National RailPLUSBUS add-on tickets – new ticket description

4 National RailFree prize draw winners

5 National RailReduced fares for wheelchairusers and visually impairedpeople

6 Central TrainsGroupSave (children nowincluded as part of group)

7 First Great WesternMajor amendments to NFM97 fares

8 Virgin TrainsTicket validity wording

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Additional items included with this issue of Newsrail ExpressRetail Manual PT1 Amendment 101Retail Manual PT2 Issue 206

If you have not received these additional items or if you need extra copies, please contact:

TSO Customer Services, St. Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1PD

Tel: 0870 850 2149 Fax: 0870 600 5533 e-mail: [email protected]

TOCs should inform their Pricing or Retail Manager about any changes to the distribution of publications.

New prices for Newsrail Express items and Retail Manual updates from 1 May 2007There will be new prices for putting news items into Newsrail Express and for updating the Retail Manual from 1 May 2007. These prices have been agreed by Ticketing & Settlement Scheme Council and Retail Group. Theaim is to partly shift the cost from TOCs submitting items and making changes to TOCs that still require printedpaper copies of Newsrail Express and the Retail Manual. This aims to encourage greater use of electroniccommunications.

New charges for making changes are shown in the following tables.

New pages/pages amended

Amendment Black & white page cost Colour page cost(fixed basic cost) (per page) (per page)

£100 £50 £100

News item standard fixed cost (however long the news item is)

£100

Any remaining production and distribution costs will be charged to TOCs receiving paper copies of NewsrailExpress and Retail Manual updates in proportion to the number of copies each TOC requires. Charges will becalculated by RSP.

Altering your TOC’s requirement for paper copies of Newsrail Express and Retail Manual updates

TOCs can reduce production and distribution costs by altering the number of paper copies of Newsrail Expressand Retail Manual updates by contacting their Pricing Manager or nominated TOC representative to amendtheir TOC publications distribution list through the FRPS website. For example, a TOC may decide that it nolonger requires paper copies of Newsrail Express and Retail Manual updates, if appropriate staff can accessthe information electronically.

FRPP website – an excellent alternative to paper

Retail publications information can be accessed electronically via: http://frpp.tso.co.uk and includes:

� Newsrail Express

� Retail Manual Part One & Part Two

� National Fares Manuals

� RailLinks Manual

� Ticket Examiners Handbook

Travel agents have their own ATOC travel agents website at: www.atoctravelagents.org

Retail Communications [email protected]

Tel: 020 7841 8058

Retail Manual

Newsrail Express

3

1TO BE READ BY:TRAIN COMPANY RETAIL STAFF �ON-TRAIN STAFF �TRAVEL AGENTS �

GroupSave from 9 September 2007Until recently, there were two types of GroupSave – Adult & Child and Adult only, with a variety ofarrangements for additional accompanying children carrying from TOC to TOC.

Following a review of the product, TOCs have agreed a standardised national product which will be offered byparticipating train companies from 9 September 2007, where both Adults and Children can form part of thegroup.

The following TOCs now participate in the GroupSave scheme:

c2c, Central Trains, Chiltern Railways, First Capital Connect, First Great Western, First ScotRail (Edinburgh toGlasgow route only), Midland Mainline,‘one’, South West Trains, Silverlink, Southeastern and Southern.

GroupSave is not offered or accepted by any other TOC – customers should be advised this before they travel,particularly when several TOCs run nearby or along the same route.

What is a group?

The group may consist of any appropriate combination of adults and children:

� GroupSave 3 (GPS-3)

3 adults, 1 adult and 2 children, 2 adults and 1 child.

� GroupSave 4 (GPS-4)

4 adults, 1 adult and 3 children, 2 adults and 2 children, 3 adults and 1 child.

� Kids for a Quid: Additional children can accompany the main party, and travel at the ‘flat fare’ of£1, single or return. Two children under the age of five can travel free of charge with each farepaying passenger.

Which Tickets?

GroupSave is available on the following ticket types:

� Cheap Day (Or Standard Day, if no Cheap Day is available)

� Saver (But NOT if the fare is set by Midland Mainline)

� Network AwayBreak

� SuperSaver

� Off Peak Day Travelcards from stations outside of the London Fare Zones to London Zones 1 to 6(‘out-boundary’). However, it is NOT available from Market Harborough, Kettering or Wellingboroughto London Zones 1 to 6.

What else has changed?

To make it simpler for customers and frontline staff, the following changes have also been made to the product:

� ‘one’ now accept GroupSave on all of the route

� Central Trains, Midland Mainline and First ScotRail now allow children to travel on adult discountedtickets

� Midland Mainline and First ScotRail now offer ‘Kids for a Quid’, where accompanying children cantravel for just £1.

� ‘Blanket Restrictions’ on when GroupSave can be used have now removed from all TOCs. GroupSavediscounted tickets now have the same restrictions as their undiscounted equivalents.

� An online ‘GroupSave Calendar’ is now available for booking office and contact centre staff toeasily see when GroupSave is restricted, for example because of sporting events. This can be foundonline at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/groupsave_calendar.html

Ben PayneProduct Information Manager

National Rail Enquiries

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New PLUSBUS stations from 9 September 2007PLUSBUS enables customers to add unlimited bus travel around town to their train ticket. PLUSBUS can beadded to most types of train ticket and can be sold from any National Rail station ticket office, throughselected telesales offices or by rail-appointed travel agents.

From 9 September 2007, 14 new PLUSBUS stations have been introduced:

Bedford J223 Middlesbrough J214Bedford St Johns J224 Peterborough J222Burton-on-Trent J218 South Woodham Ferrers J221Eastbourne J227 Stockton-on-Tees J216Gravesend J220 Tamworth J219Hartlepool J212 Thornaby J217Kettering J225 Wellingborough J226

New PLUSBUS Season Tickets from 9 September 2007PLUSBUS season tickets are ideal for regular travellers/commuters who use stations where car parking may belimited and who may wish to avoid car park prices. They're just the ticket to let customers leave the car athome and help to reduce the damaging effects of car travel on the environment.

From 9 September 2007, 32 new PLUSBUS season tickets have been introduced, including season tickets at 10completely new PLUSBUS stations:

Aberdeen H814 Hull H299Bedford J223 Kettering J225Bedford St Johns J224 Lancaster H931Braintree J901 Lichfield City H298Brentwood J902 Lichfield Trent Valley H286Burton-on-Trent J218 Middlesbrough J214Carlisle H930 Peterborough J222Chelmsford J908 Preston H932Clacton-on-sea J909 Shenfield J938Colchester J910 South Woodham Ferrers J221Dovercourt J911 Stockton-on-Tees J216Eastbourne J227 Tamworth J219Gravesend J220 Thornaby J217Hartlepool J212 Warrington H982Harwich International J917 Wellingborough J226Harwich Town J916 Witham J950

You can sell PLUSBUS tickets to customers at the same time as they buy their rail ticket, or you can sell PLUSBUStickets to customers already holding rail tickets, as long as the rail ticket is valid for the PLUSBUS ticket validitydate/s requested. PLUSBUS tickets are also valid in conjunction with appropriate rover and ranger-type ticketsand rail staff privilege/status passes.

Don't forget that if you can't find through PLUSBUS fares in ticket issuing systems,you should issue the rail journeyticket and also issue separate PLUSBUS tickets. Please do not turn customers away, or send them to the busstation - bus stations and bus drivers CAN'T sell PLUSBUS tickets.

You can find all PLUSBUS information in section B1 of the RailLinks manual, which is also available in electronicformat on the Fares and Retail Publications Portal – https://frpp.tso.uk or on the ATOC website –www.atoc.org (in the Marketing and Retail section).

ATOC Retail Support0207 841 8058

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Newsrail Express for train company National Rail information

• over 7,000 copies printed fortnightly• 3,000 stations, travel agents and call centres receive Newsrail Express• Estimated readership of 15,000 retail staff


PLUSBUS add-on tickets – new ticket description

PLUSBUS add-on day tickets currently use ticket descriptions BUS DAY SINGLE (BDS) and BUS DAY RETURN (BDR).From 9 September, this will change to one new ticket description, which will be ‘PLUSBUS DAY’ (PBD). PLUSBUStickets give the customer unlimited bus travel during the day of validity, so the new ticket description will bemuch clearer for customers and bus drivers to understand.

Also note that only ONE ‘PLUSBUS DAY’ ticket will be issued per transaction.

The new description of PLUSBUS DAY (PBD) will only appear on PLUSBUS add-on tickets. Where PLUSBUS iscombined on one ticket with the rail travel through tickets (where available), the ticket will continue to show:SINGLE, CHEAP DAY RETURN, SAVER etc appropriate to the relevant rail ticket type, as their description.

Don’t forget that if there is no through rail and PLUSBUS fare in your ticket issuing system, you should issue theticket for the train journey and then a separate PLUSBUS add-on ticket for the relevant PLUSBUS zone.


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Free prize draw winnersFree rail tickets RSP 24916 issued in conjunction with marketing activity

The London and South East Marketers Group (working together via the London Scheme at ATOC) conduct jointmarketing activities from time to time with publications such as The Evening Standard, London Lite and otherthird parties such as tourism authorities or other organisations.

In conjunction with these activities there are occasions when train travel is offered as part of a Free Prize Draw.Ticketing is made available on bespoke ‘Free Return Rail Journey’ ticket stock RSP 24916 with either First Classor Standard travel according to the prize category on offer (see examples below).

Free Prize Draw winners receive: a letter of congratulations on ATOC headed notepaper (with a clearinstruction to staff on the reverse); an accompanying full colour map showing the customer(s) where they cantravel; one or more rail travel tickets for either First Class or Standard travel.

FREE TRAVEL TICKETS (RSP.24916) are valid as described and are available for travel within the area shown onthe accompanying map on services operated by: c2c, Chiltern Railways, First Capital Connect, First GreatWestern,‘one’, Silverlink, Southeastern, Southern and South West Trains.

Please note that any changes to Train Company names shown on RSP 24916, previously, now or in the future,will be honoured by the replacement franchise holder,e.g.Thameslink now First Capital Connect,South Centralnow Southern (for a full list see above).

Other points to note regarding the free ticket:

� First Class tickets are coloured gold. Standard travel tickets are coloured silver

� Free Prize Draw winners are advised to carry their ATOC letter of authority, RSP 24916 ticket(s) andthe accompanying map with them on their journey

� Each ticket is available for either one adult or one child to make one return journey using only theservices of the train companies shown on the accompanying map

� There is an expiry date endorsed by the issuing office on the front of the ticket and all journeys mustbe made on or before the date shown

� Customers must fully and legibly complete their details on the reverse, including name, postcode,starting and destination stations, and date of outward and return travel.

� There are no days of week or times of travel restrictions

� Tickets are not valid on any other rail, road or water transport services

� Tickets are not valid if left blank, altered, mutilated or defaced, neither are they transferable.

� Travel is subject to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage

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Front of card – Standard class (top area text in silver) Front of card – First class (top area text in gold)

Rear of card – Standard class Rear of card – First class

Area of validity

When Free Prize Draw Winners present themselves and their travel documentation, please help the holder(s) inany way that you can to ensure they have a comfortable and enjoyable journey.

Thank you for your help and co-operation.London Schemes

0207 841 8039

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Reduced fares for wheelchair users andvisually impaired people

Please remember that the following discounts are available for disabled people who do not hold a DisabledPerson’s Railcard:

People who stay in their own wheelchair for the entire journey

When a person travels in their own wheelchair and does not have a Disabled Person’s Railcard they areentitled to the following discounts. The same discount applies to one companion.

Ticket type Discount

First Class or Standard Open Single 34%First Class or Standard Day Single 34%First Class or Standard Day Return 50%First Class or Standard Open Return 34%

Discount code 0001 should be used when issuing the tickets.

Disabled children aged between 5 and 15 travelling in wheelchairs are allowed 75% discount off the aboveticket types. If they have an adult companion, then this person is allowed the discounts shown above.

People registered as visually impaired

When a person registered as visually impaired travels withanother person and does not have a Railcard, the discountsshown above apply for both passengers.

Season ticket

Blind and partially sighted people can be issued with oneadult season ticket to cover two people (the two travellingfor the price of one). A different companion may travel ondifferent days.

Please see the new ‘Rail travel made easy’ leaflet formore information.


Newsrail Express for train company National Rail information

• over 7,000 copies printed fortnightly• 3,000 stations, travel agents and call centres receive Newsrail Express• Estimated readership of 15,000 retail staff

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Central Trains – GroupSave (children now included as part of group)

From 9 September 2007 Central Trains will offer Adult and Child GroupSave i.e.on the same basis as most othertrain companies who are a party to the GroupSave discount scheme.

Adult and child GroupSave provides parties of any appropriate combination of adults and children theopportunity to travel for the price two adults would normally pay. These combinations are as follows:

GroupSave 33 adults, 1 adult and 2 children, 2 adults and 1 child

GroupSave 44 adults, 1 adult and 3 children, 2 adults and 2 children, 3 adults and 1 child

This is a change from our previous GroupSave offer when only adults could be part of the group. The changeto include children as part of the group will encourage more families to travel using the GroupSave discount.

We will continue to provide the “Kids For a Quid” offer for additional children travelling with the group.

Pricing ManagerCentral TrainsTel: 054 1212

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First Great Western – major amendments to NFM 97 fares

Please note that due to major amendments to First Great Western fares for NFM97 all First Great Western faresthat appear in NFM97 sections B & C should be disregarded.

A supplement, containing all First Great Western fares for NFM97 is in production. This supplement will bedistributed free of charge to all locations who receive any of NFM editions WST, STH, EST, LON or MID.

Revised fares are being distributed to all ticket issuing systems (TIS). Due to technical limitations within industrysystems it is possible that certain revised fares may take several weeks to distribute to certain TIS. Pleasecontinue to sell all products in accordance with the fares that your TIS advises.

First Great Western Pricing07 75980


Virgin Trains ticket validity wordingFrom 9 September, the following Virgin Trains tickets will display a validity of ‘BOOKEDTRAINONLY’ to clarify topassengers that the ticket is only valid at the date and time shown on the reservation. This wording replaces avariety of current wording including ‘AS ADVERTISED’ and ‘ON DATE SHOWN’.

The rules relating to these tickets remain unchanged.

The tickets affected are:

Value Advance VAS/VBS/VCS

Standard Advance BAO/BBO/BCO

First Value Advance FAS/FBS/FCS

First Advance BFO/BGO

Virgin Trains Retail Support00 48077

020 7983 8077

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INDEX

This index covers items from the last six issues of Newsrail Express.Amendments to Fares Manuals and associated Publications are excluded.

NEWSRAILEXPRESS

No.

PAGENo.

ATOC – Reduced rate Season Ticket for TOC new entrants 342 1 3Central Trains – Central Trains Travel Promotion (reminder) 342 3 5Central Trains - Summary of Fares Review September 2007 347 5 7Central Trains – Fraudulent use of Rail Warrant Book, Legalshield

account number 67997 347 6 9Central Trains – Coleshill Parkway station now open 347 7 10GNER – New GNER First Class Business Package 342 4 6National Rail – Discount fares for disabled people 342 2 4National Rail – Discount fares for disabled people who do not hold a

Disabled Persons Railcard 344 2 4National Rail – Discount fares for disabled people who do not hold a

Disabled Persons Railcard (reminder_ 345 3 5National Rail – Discount fares for disabled people who do not hold a

Disabled Persons Railcard (reminder) 346 2 4National Rail – Discount fares for disabled people who do not hold a

Disabled Persons Railcard (reminder) 347 4 6PLUSBUS – Go PLUSBUS and leave the car at home (updated) 343 1 3PLUSBUS – PLUSBUS sales success 344 1 3PLUSBUS – PLUSBUS sales success 345 2 4PLUSBUS – Say ‘yes’ to PLUSBUS 346 1 3PLUSBUS – Issuing London PLUSBUS tickets 346 2 4PLUSBUS – Say ‘yes’ to PLUSBUS 347 3 5Railcards – Online Railcard Promotions 345 1 3Railcards – Extended validity for Railcard leaflets and posters 347 1 3Virgin Trains – Changes to Saver restrictions & amendment to

Rail Rover validity 343 2 4Virgin Trains – Easement on West Midlands Day Ranger 345 4 6

ITEMNo.

ITEM (in alphabetical TOC order)

working together for Great Britain’s National Rail companies

Printed by The Stationery Office Limited (TSO)St. CrispinsDuke StreetNorwich NR3 1PDCopyright © Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) 2000

Retail Communication DeadlinesWould TOC and ATOC information providers please note the following deadlines for content submission, through FRPS, for NewsrailExpress items and updates to your sections in Retail Manual Part Two (also reflected in Rail Directory for Travel Agents Part One).Submissions can be made up until 23:59 on the date shown.

The Rail Directory for Travel Agents Part One is provided to travel agents in electronic format only and mirrors the informationsubmitted to the Retail Manual Part Two.

September to December 2007Newsrail Express Retail Manual Delivery date at retail locations Deadline for submission

issue number Part Two (may vary by 2 days either side) by information providersis 23:59 on the dates below

349 24 September 12 September

November update 8 October 19 September

350 8 October 26 September

351 22 October 10 October

December update 5 November 17 October

352 5 November 24 October

353 19 November 7 November

January update 3 December 14 November

354 3 December 21 November

355 17 December 5 December

February update 28 December 5 December

356 28 December 12 December

FRPS websiteThe Fares & Retail Publications Service website (operated by TSO) for entering information is https://frps.tso.co.uk Each TOC andATOC have designated information providers with password access to contribute Newsrail Express items and Retail Manual PartTwo updates.

Guidance and cue cardsGuidance on how to use the system is available from www.atoc.org in the Marketing and Retail > FRPS (Fares & RetailPublications Service) section. For additional editorial guidance contact Paul Chilver at ATOC Editorial on [email protected] telephone 020 7841 8058.

Proof checkingAt the proof check stage, (usually 2-3 days after the submission deadline) contributors will receive an email from TSO which stateswhat the time deadline is for checking your proof. This then normally gives you one working day to check the proof and you shouldadvise of any alterations required or supply sign-off to Paul Chilver at ATOC Editorial, fax 020 7841 8266 by the deadline shown inthe email.

Further information and pricesFurther information and full pricing details for contributing news items and updates is shown in the inside cover of this edition oravailable from www.atoc.org in the Marketing and Retail > FRPS (Fares & Retail Publications Service) section. Note thatprices are higher for colour and laminated pages where required.For invoice enquiries please contact Andrew Tolley at RSP on [email protected] or tel 020 7841 8119Publication supplies, distribution and technical supportThe TSO helpline for publication supplies (if you want to buy extra copies of manuals), distribution queries (if you do not receive theinformation that you were expecting) and technical support is 0870 850 2149 or email [email protected]. If you simply wish tomake a change to the distribution database then please contact your TOC’s Retail or Pricing Manager (for non-TOCs pleasecontact [email protected]).

Inserts and merchandisersIf you wish to send out any separate inserts (such as leaflets and merchandisers) within the Newsrail Express distribution package(either distribution of your pre-printed material or a full print and distribution service) please arrange this direct with TSO - tel 0870873 8722, email [email protected] to discuss details of costs and timescales. Please ensure that you contact TSO at least 7 days inadvance of the submission deadline date shown above.

Retail Manual Part One, Rail Directory for Travel Agents Part Two, Ticket Examiners HandbookIf you want any changes made to Retail Manual Part One, Rail Directory for Travel Agents Part Two and Ticket ExaminersHandbook, please contact ATOC Editorial on [email protected].

9 789999 056052

ISBN 978-9-99-905605-2

ASSOCIATION of TRAIN OPERATING COMPANIES

Documents

378301 Newsletter 348 - ATOC's Travel Agent Website