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Do SWR guards get free travel on GWR?

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Lewis5949

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When I applied a few months ago, I could have sworn the job advertisement said free travel on other FirstGroup services like GWR, but when I went back to the ad via the job portal, it only mentions a discount on some other services. Could an employee of either SWR or GWR kindly confirm if you receive free travel on the opposite service?
 
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KT530

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You get 10 ‘boxes’ a year to travel anywhere on other First TOCs free of charge, which are valid for 48 hrs.

I’m sure most guards would also allow travel to/from work in uniform if you see them beforehand out of courtesy.
 

MiNi

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When I applied a few months ago, I could have sworn the job advertisement said free travel on other FirstGroup services like GWR, but when I went back to the ad via the job portal, it only mentions a discount on some other services. Could an employee of either SWR or GWR kindly confirm if you receive free travel on the opposite service?
75% off other toc's.
 

DMU180

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A slight detour but my toc is being taken over by First Group it says you get the 10 x 48 hour boxes on other FG tocs. How strict is the rule with dating the boxes? If you speak to the TM/Conductor before getting on do they usually wave you on or make you date a box?
 

Twotwo

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A slight detour but my toc is being taken over by First Group it says you get the 10 x 48 hour boxes on other FG tocs. How strict is the rule with dating the boxes? If you speak to the TM/Conductor before getting on do they usually wave you on or make you date a box?

Best thing to do is to show a polite etiquette and approach the conducter or the guard and ask him/her before you board the service. Like every sector, you will get the occasion jobsworth. If they say no just agree to filling out the dates.
 

bb21

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You get 10 ‘boxes’ a year to travel anywhere on other First TOCs free of charge, which are valid for 48 hrs.

I’m sure most guards would also allow travel to/from work in uniform if you see them beforehand out of courtesy.

Five boxes.

Some First Group subsidiaries, eg. GWR, get 10 boxes.
 

JaMa9

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Free travel on SWR network and ten free tickets to use on other FirstGroup trains, discounts on FirstGroup buses and 75% off with all other trains companies.
 

dctraindriver

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A slight detour but my toc is being taken over by First Group it says you get the 10 x 48 hour boxes on other FG tocs. How strict is the rule with dating the boxes? If you speak to the TM/Conductor before getting on do they usually wave you on or make you date a box?
I must admit I date the box, it’ll be that one time you don’t you meet the one who reports you....
 

DMU180

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Best thing to do is to show a polite etiquette and approach the conducter or the guard and ask him/her before you board the service. Like every sector, you will get the occasion jobsworth. If they say no just agree to filling out the dates.

That's what I would do but was wondering how the land lies haha. Thanks.
 

DMU180

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I must admit I date the box, it’ll be that one time you don’t you meet the one who reports you....

Yeah, always the way! Pity as we currently get unlimited free leisure travel on LNER which is brilliant so seems like we aren't getting as great a deal.

Abellio and Arriva staff get unlimited free travel on their other toc's, would be great if First introduces something similar as their scheme is a lot more restrictive.
 

Twotwo

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That's what I would do but was wondering how the land lies haha. Thanks.

99% would probably say yes if you was in uniform. When i used to work as a gateline staff I used to allow people from other tocs through as a 'gentleman agreement' or advise them to talk to the guard (if the train was long distance and had a commercial guard on it because its essentially their train and up to him/her).
 

tiptoptaff

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First balance it out with their friends and family tickets - £6 rover ticket for up to 4 people on some of the First Group TOCs. You can count as one of the 4 if you don't have a valid travel pass for the train you're on. So for example,
On GWR - I can take me, my wife, my daughter, my mum, dad, sister, brother in law and nephew to London for £6 - wife and I have GWR passes, kids are under 5 and the river covers the other 4 adults.
I could do the same on SWR if my wife and I dated a box each on the First Group boxes card.
No idea how they're going to incorporate the WCML franchise. Remains to be seen. I'm sure we'll get an email a week after its started, as usual...
 

tlionhart

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If your employed with SWR, you only get 5 free boxes, not 10. You only get the 10 if employed by GWR, TPE, etc!
You get travel with MTR as additional, which GWR doesn’t have. (Only existing staff in the LTV area do, but ‘special criteria’ applies.)

You also get 75% off others TOCS, day rover tickets that allow either £6 for all of GWR network or £15 for a first class travel rover on GWR. You can have up to 4 people travel with you. (As tiptoptaff has mentioned)

You also get discount season tickets (which you apply for via rail delivery group) the discount is 75%.

Priv cards (75%) is given after 3 months service. However the discount season ticket is available straight away. You can only use a priv card for yourself, not a group. Unless your family have their own priv cards.

Regarding Virgin Trains, unless a bulletin is launched ‘embargo’ travel with them (as tiptoptaff mentioned usually 2months later, when you’ve already blagged your way onto their services and find out from revenue) then you can use your box when the franchise ownership comes into force.
 

craigybagel

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Yeah, always the way! Pity as we currently get unlimited free leisure travel on LNER which is brilliant so seems like we aren't getting as great a deal.

Abellio and Arriva staff get unlimited free travel on their other toc's, would be great if First introduces something similar as their scheme is a lot more restrictive.

It could be worse. Staff at Arriva Trains Wales went from having the unlimited travel on the entire Arriva Network you mention above, plus bus travel on Arriva buses, to absolutely nothing outside their own TOC when TfW took over.

But such is life I guess. Priv is still a pretty decent perk that staff in other industries (or indeed our colleagues on freight or at Network Rail who get nothing at all) would be very grateful for I'm sure.
 

tiptoptaff

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Is that an SWR thing? I've never seen it on the GWR portal - we get "weekend first" cards. Which are like boxes for use on weekends instead of paying the weekend upgrade
 

FGW_DID

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Is that an SWR thing? I've never seen it on the GWR portal - we get "weekend first" cards. Which are like boxes for use on weekends instead of paying the weekend upgrade

it’s new! Likewise I had never heard of it until it was mentioned above so logged onto First Rewards and it’s on the list. Last time I booked a ticket was August and it wasn’t on there then.

  • *NEW* 12 GWR First Class Day Rover tickets. These cost £30 per adult and £15 per child.
 

387star

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First balance it out with their friends and family tickets - £6 rover ticket for up to 4 people on some of the First Group TOCs. You can count as one of the 4 if you don't have a valid travel pass for the train you're on. So for example,
On GWR - I can take me, my wife, my daughter, my mum, dad, sister, brother in law and nephew to London for £6 - wife and I have GWR passes, kids are under 5 and the river covers the other 4 adults.
I could do the same on SWR if my wife and I dated a box each on the First Group boxes card.
No idea how they're going to incorporate the WCML franchise. Remains to be seen. I'm sure we'll get an email a week after its started, as usual...
So that's 6 quid for one ticket and anyone can go with you up to 4 people even just friend?
 

FGW_DID

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So that's 6 quid for one ticket and anyone can go with you up to 4 people even just friend?

I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s per person (only ever bought them for one person) but yes it can be for anybody, friend or family.

Update: I’ve just logged in and checked, it is £6 per person (£3 per child)
 
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Stigy

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So that's 6 quid for one ticket and anyone can go with you up to 4 people even just friend?
It’s £6 per person, but you get one ticket for all people in your party. You have to travel with them as a lead passenger and supply your staff travel pass number. It’s valid for anywhere in the specific TOC‘s area subject to restrictions due to time of day etc. You can get a ticket for say SWR even though you work for GWR, for example. You can use it yourself for another TOC, it doesn’t have to be for other people.
 

Stigy

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Whilst we are on the subject, I don’t have the free boxes for other FirstGroup TOCs since joining GWR, which I had with SWR...do I have to be with GWR a certain amount of time to qualify for these? I assumed it was the same as with the PRIVs in that your seniority is with the railway rather than with the TOC itself, and that all the travel perks were instant as long as you’ve been with the railway over 6-months?
 

DMU180

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First balance it out with their friends and family tickets - £6 rover ticket for up to 4 people on some of the First Group TOCs. You can count as one of the 4 if you don't have a valid travel pass for the train you're on. So for example,
On GWR - I can take me, my wife, my daughter, my mum, dad, sister, brother in law and nephew to London for £6 - wife and I have GWR passes, kids are under 5 and the river covers the other 4 adults.
I could do the same on SWR if my wife and I dated a box each on the First Group boxes card.
No idea how they're going to incorporate the WCML franchise. Remains to be seen. I'm sure we'll get an email a week after its started, as usual...

Ah so it's a £6 day ticket which covers 4 people? I read it as being £6 per person. In that case, that's a big plus then! We've been told all our current travel arrangements like sitting in FC will continue so that's a positive too! Thanks for the clarity!
 

tiptoptaff

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Ah so it's a £6 day ticket which covers 4 people? I read it as being £6 per person. In that case, that's a big plus then! We've been told all our current travel arrangements like sitting in FC will continue so that's a positive too! Thanks for the clarity!
It may be £6pp - have only ever used it for me plus one other, which was £6
 

DMU180

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It could be worse. Staff at Arriva Trains Wales went from having the unlimited travel on the entire Arriva Network you mention above, plus bus travel on Arriva buses, to absolutely nothing outside their own TOC when TfW took over.

But such is life I guess. Priv is still a pretty decent perk that staff in other industries (or indeed our colleagues on freight or at Network Rail who get nothing at all) would be very grateful for I'm sure.

Now that is falling from a great height!! I'll count myself lucky!
 
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