British Rail Concessionary travel

[Brio]

Hello, I'm new to this forum!
My late father (born 1921) started working for British Rail (I think) around 1939/40. I remember he used to get some free passes for himself, my late mother and me until I started work in 1960. These concessionary fairs meant we were able to have holidays each year to the south coast. He used to talk about free passes and privilege tickets. Then sometime in the 1950's this free travel was extended throughout France on SNCF as far as the Italian & Spanish borders.
My questions are:- How many free passes would he have got each year and how many privilege tickets would he have got each year?
When was the free travel extended to France?

 

[lincolnshire]

If I remember rightly it was 7 free passes a year and as many priv tickets that you wanted to pay for at quarter normal fare. Also quarter fare on London Underground too and one or two other perks like shipping / ferries too.

 

[Gloster]

There was a fairly lengthy thread on this subject around a year ago: How did Rail Staff Travel work during nationalisation? When the individual free return tickets were replaced by boxes on a card around 1986 I think it was four a year for under ten years service and seven for above that with extras for things like being First Aid qualified.

British Railways was only formed in 1948 and so he would have joined one of the ’Big Four’ private companies: if it was in the North-East it was almost certainly the London & North Eastern Railway. What their arrangements were I know not, but quite possibly less generous.

 

[hexagon789]

My grandfather had a ten 'box' pass. He worked for BR until 1979.

He and my grandmother were sent a new one every year from an office in Darlington from memory.

 

[mailbyrail]

Back in the early days of BR, through until the 1960s, free passes depended upon grade. My father was a booking clerk on the Western Region and his free travel was confined to the region - reflected in the locations of family holidays whilst I was growing up. Even in the early 1970s there were differences between wages grades and salaried.

 

[Gloster]

My grandfather had a ten 'box' pass. He worked for BR until 1979.

He and my grandmother were sent a new one every year from an office in Darlington from memory

I presume that around 1986 all staff, both active and retired, were moved across to an annual card with boxes on it and the old Edmondson card tickets were phased out for staff travel. The number of passes increased: I think mine went from four return tickets to ten two-day boxes; over ten-year staff similarly got more. It is possible that he hadn’t done ten years or dropped back on retirement to the equivalent. (I only managed nine years, so a lot of this information was never of concern to me.)

 

[Taunton]

Back in the early days of BR, through until the 1960s, free passes depended upon grade.

Indeed. Colleague at university in Edinburgh had a fairly senior father on BR, and qualified for first class, on the sleeper from London. I think it may have been an additional allowance to/fro whilst your child was in full time education, which suited the notable proportion of senior staff with children at boarding schools.

Despite the sleeper booking, I recall him saying the travel ticket was made out for Penzance to Wick, return, as apparently was common, which was treated as a go-anywhere ticket. I don't think he ever went to either place, although I do recall he had been left in no uncertain terms that he had to be completely compliant with the allowance, otherwise it could be withdrawn.

 

[furnessvale]

British Railways was only formed in 1948 and so he would have joined one of the ’Big Four’ private companies: if it was in the North-East it was almost certainly the London & North Eastern Railway. What their arrangements were I know not, but quite possibly less generous.

From memory, the least generous of the big 4 was the Southern, which allowed only two free passes annually.

Even in the 1960s, memories of this amongst older clippies meant that you were very unlikely to have a free pass clipped on the Southern Region, enabling you to return it to the office "unused".

 

[62484GlenLyon]

The introduction of the annual card with boxes was April 1983. I remember it vividly as I was a major beneficiary of the change. My 10th anniversary of service was that month. Under the old scheme I would have gone from 4 point-to-point return tickets to 7 at that 10th anniversary. However, I went from 4 point-to-points to 16 boxes.

As Taunton says above, many people had the old tickets made out to cover any number of options even if you never intended to use it throughout. I had one made out from Bat & Ball to Wick which caused much amusement in Scotland.

To get one of those old card tickets issued one filled out a form, gave it the Staff Office and in due course the ticket arrived. Blue for standard class, white for first class.

There were odd local practices under that system. For instance, at Euston Division somebody going on honeymoon was issued with a 1st class ticket that had an X on it to show that a priv card wasn't necessary to back it up.

 

[Gloster]

As I have mentioned before, the one year (probably 1982 or 1983) that I didn’t use up all my annual allocation of tickets, I applied as a joke for a ticket from Rodwell to Crowden (closed 1952 and 1957, respectively). It was issued.

 

[SargeNpton]

The free passes also allowed travel on Sealink Ferries (though some routes required payment of a "Port Tax"). Used one of my free passes in the late 1970s to go from Northampton to Dublin as a day trip.

 

[greyman42]

I think mine went from four return tickets to ten two-day boxes; over ten-year staff similarly got more.

If i remember correctly, we got ten as that covered the four free passes for returning more than two days after departure, therefore eight boxes. The other two were to cover for mistakes when filling your dates in.

 

[hexagon789]

The free passes also allowed travel on Sealink Ferries (though some routes required payment of a "Port Tax"). Used one of my free passes in the late 1970s to go from Northampton to Dublin as a day trip.

My grandparents did that both to Jersey and to Dublin. Their passes were also accepted on the DART to/from Bray, where they were staying while in Ireland.

I presume that around 1986 all staff, both active and retired, were moved across to an annual card with boxes on it and the old Edmondson card tickets were phased out for staff travel. The number of passes increased: I think mine went from four return tickets to ten two-day boxes; over ten-year staff similarly got more. It is possible that he hadn’t done ten years or dropped back on retirement to the equivalent. (I only managed nine years, so a lot of this information was never of concern to me.)

I'm pretty sure it was longer than 20 years, but I'd need to check his precise length of service.

He retired early due to ill health; possibly a factor?

 

[GC class B1]

The number of boxes were dependent on your grade until privatisation. The maximum was 20 boxes and if your entitlement was less than 20 boxes the card had the extra already crossed out when you received it. Priv tickets at 1/4 fare were unlimited. Continental travel covered most European countries and for France the allowance was 2 tickets per year. Boxes are valid on Windermere boats and many ferries including Isle of Wight. As far as I am aware the aren’t any concessions in Northern Ireland. Priv fares are also available on many Heritage railways. Although concessions aren’t valid in Australia, when I worked for Railcorp in Sydney I was given a letter by my HR travel person requesting that I be offered concessionary travel in Australia. I didn’t use it so don’t know if it would have been honoured.

 

[Gloster]

He retired early due to ill health; possibly a factor?

That may well have been the reason. I knew one chap who died in the week he was due to retire: he knew that he was dying, but wanted to ensure that his widow got the full travel allowance so that she could see their family who were spread around the country. Being old railway the local management fiddled it somehow so that she did get the full facilities.

Northern Ireland Railways was treated as a foreign administration, but was one of the three that you could get after one year. The other two were CIE and MAV, but the rest were only available to us wages grade toilers after four years.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Whilst "BR" staff got priv on "London Transport" services , there were no freebies - but in return LT staff got one free pass on BR per year. Various complications where BR staff could travel on boxes on LT - e.g ex BR services to High Barnet (one time LNER !) , very complicated.

Senior Managers on both BR and LT got universal free travel , rolled forward into the Oyster era , - but you had to be based or working in the London area.

 

[62484GlenLyon]

The number of boxes were dependent on your grade until privatisation. The maximum was 20 boxes and if your entitlement was less than 20 boxes the card had the extra already crossed out when you received it. Priv tickets at 1/4 fare were unlimited. Continental travel covered most European countries and for France the allowance was 2 tickets per year. Boxes are valid on Windermere boats and many ferries including Isle of Wight. As far as I am aware the aren’t any concessions in Northern Ireland. Priv fares are also available on many Heritage railways. Although concessions aren’t valid in Australia, when I worked for Railcorp in Sydney I was given a letter by my HR travel person requesting that I be offered concessionary travel in Australia. I didn’t use it so don’t know if it would have been honoured.

Rail Staff Travel Guide for holders of the Staff Travel Card

Section 10: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
You can use your Staff Travel Card to buy staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for rail travel in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
FIP coupons can be used for free travel. See ‘Travel Tips in Europe’ for more information.
If you are crossing the border on the Enterprise service and using FIP coupons then both NIR and CIE coupons are needed.

 

[32475]

Thanks to my Dad working for BR I made great use of my priv pass especially in my teens and student days. Once or twice I even rode on the 1960s stock Manchester Pullman for free around 1984/5 although I’m sure I had to pay a 20p supplementary fare.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I recall him saying the travel ticket was made out for Penzance to Wick,

While I was only staff in the era of boxes (c. 1990 - 97) longer serving colleagues confirmed this to be regular practice back when you had to book individual tickets

From memory, the least generous of the big 4 was the Southern, which allowed only two free passes annually.

Even in the 1960s, memories of this amongst older clippies meant that you were very unlikely to have a free pass clipped on the Southern Region, enabling you to return it to the office "unused".

Indeed. My dad (now in his nineties) got staff travel as a child as his father was a railway worker: apparently he and his siblings were advised to be very careful not to get their tickets clipped between home in Southport and my Granny's family at County School in Norfolk. I assume that this was pre-nationalisation and travelling across LMS and LNER.

 

[Brio]

If I remember rightly it was 7 free passes a year and as many priv tickets that you wanted to pay for at quarter normal fare. Also quarter fare on London Underground too and one or two other perks like shipping / ferries too.

Many thanks

 

[Taunton]

I've written before about a family business contact, Tjolle, Belgian by background but in the 1950s a driver at Bristol St Philips Marsh, who started his own travel agency, back to Ostend in his native Belgium, and who marketed very extensively to rail staff all around Bristol and South Wales. A couple of respondents here recalled travelling with him. Train to Paddington, get yourself across London, train to Dover, Belgian ferry to Ostend, all were covered by various rail concessions, so the only real cost might be the cheap side-street hotels in Ostend. Described at length in this link by the founder's son:

My love affair with tourism You Lucky People

Chapter 1 Falling in Love In 1953, at the tender age of 8, I fell in love – twice. The lovely Janet Fairly-Clarke was the object of my warmly tender intentions in Country Dancing. But the tra…

valerex.wordpress.com

 

[Brio]

Does anyone know what year the Free passes were introduced to include France?

 

[32475]

I attach some extracts from my 1975 pass which lists the various European countries and railway companies with the relevant fare reductions.
Interestingly this makes no mention of the Irish CIE or NIR. I went to Ireland in 1980 and I’m sure I got reduced rate travel then.

 

[CyrusWuff]

I attach some extracts from my 1975 pass which lists the various European countries and railway companies with the relevant fare reductions.
Interestingly this makes no mention of the Irish CIE or NIR. I went to Ireland in 1980 and I’m sure I got reduced rate travel then.

It's likely that you didn't need a FIP card for such journeys back then, much like their staff can still just use their Priv cards for a discount on GB rail.

 

[Magdalia]

As Taunton says above, many people had the old tickets made out to cover any number of options even if you never intended to use it throughout. I had one made out from Bat & Ball to Wick which caused much amusement in Scotland.

I didn't work for the railway, but I knew many who did, going back to the days of free passes.

Proper cricket enthusiasts went from Bat and Ball to Bowling.

But I never found a BR golfer with Par to Golf Street.

Generally speaking the theory was that it was better to have two obscure stations than, for example, Penzance and Wick.

 

[Falcon1200]

Generally speaking the theory was that it was better to have two obscure stations than, for example, Penzance and Wick.

Indeed, I recall using Altnabreac and Scotscalder as the northern end! The introduction of the boxes, as opposed to having to apply each time for a priv ticket, was a major step forward.

 

[62484GlenLyon]

I didn't work for the railway, but I knew many who did, going back to the days of free passes.

Proper cricket enthusiasts went from Bat and Ball to Bowling.

But I never found a BR golfer with Par to Golf Street.

Generally speaking the theory was that it was better to have two obscure stations than, for example, Penzance and Wick.

If you wanted to travel from London using Bat and Ball, or any station in Kent, Surrey or Sussex, as a starting point was fine but Bowling as an end point restricted you to using the WCML. To be valid on both the WCML and ECML the Scottish destination had to be Falkirk or north. Having an Edinburgh area station or a Glasgow area one as a destination could lead to accusations of being invalid if on the "wrong" cross-border route, at least post January 1969 when the Waverley route shut. At the very least it increased the risk of having the ticket clipped.

 

[Gloster]

I have a vague feeling that Nairn was a bit of a favourite as it could be used both via Aviemore and Aberdeen. Dorchester was another one that opened plenty of routes. But my recollection is that routing was more fluid and less bureaucratic: you could get away with anything that wasn’t blatant abuse of the system. Even the stroppiest TTI was unlikely to come down on another staff member unless they were very stupid.

 

[6Gman]

I have a vague feeling that Nairn was a bit of a favourite as it could be used both via Aviemore and Aberdeen. Dorchester was another one that opened plenty of routes. But my recollection is that routing was more fluid and less bureaucratic: you could get away with anything that wasn’t blatant abuse of the system. Even the stroppiest TTI was unlikely to come down on another staff member unless they were very stupid.

We used Keith Junction in the north and Hamble in the south.

And we actually visited Hamble!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I seem to recall Quintrel Downs to Forsinard was a favourite, along with Holyhead to a Continental Port. !