Free travel arrangements for staff on different TOCs.

[12LDA28C]

Am I wrong in thinking that all toc staff (drivers at least) get free duty travel on all other tocs (excluding London Underground)?

That's correct for drivers, although evidence of being 'on duty' should also be provided on request, such as a driver's diagram or similar official document.

 

[Haywain]

I believe LNER Staff are entitled to this also.

Only those both resident and employed within Greater London, and they get a Priv discount (LU only) on a standard Oyster card.

 

[PupCuff]

Am I wrong in thinking that all toc staff (drivers at least) get free duty travel on all other tocs (excluding London Underground)?

Train crew do, along with certain management grades. For other staff, it'll either be a case of getting hold of a bearer pass (TOCs issue each other with a limited number of travel passes which are issued out as required to staff who need them on a given day) or simply being issued with tickets as applicable to the duty travel being undertaken.

 

[dk1]

Train crew do, along with certain management grades. For other staff, it'll either be a case of getting hold of a bearer pass (TOCs issue each other with a limited number of travel passes which are issued out as required to staff who need them on a given day) or simply being issued with tickets as applicable to the duty travel being undertaken.

A diagram for that day has always been enough in my experience. It's very rarely needed however.

 

[Haywain]

Am I wrong in thinking that all toc staff (drivers at least) get free duty travel on all other tocs (excluding London Underground)?

You are wrong. I have done a lot of travel in the course of my duties and it was only free where arrangements existed with the other TOC. There were occasions where I was required to buy a ticket at the public rate in order to travel, sometimes paid with a travel warrant.

 

[LowLevel]

You are wrong. I have done a lot of travel in the course of my duties and it was only free where arrangements existed with the other TOC. There were occasions where I was required to buy a ticket at the public rate in order to travel, sometimes paid with a travel warrant.

What is being referred to is the Duty Authority to Travel card which is provided by TOCs to train crew, operational managers etc for use in the context of day to day operations I think. Not sure whether all TOCs use them, if your network is self contained there would be little use for them. My own TOC routinely diagrams travel on other company's trains though so they're necessary, and of course they see ad hoc use too.

Basically just means as train crew I can travel on any train within the DfT TOCs (don't have any open access relevant journeys so not sure if any of them are included) as needed for my duties or to attend training. Diagrams or other supporting evidence can be requested by ticket inspectors to validate the card.

In practice my TOC and for example Cross Country share a route and we are often booked or use ad hoc their trains to get about, and they ours, same as Northern, TPE and Avanti - the card formalises the arrangement.

 

[Haywain]

What is being referred to is the Duty Authority to Travel card which is provided by TOCs to train crew,

The question did not specify such cards and I think it is important to make it clear that there is no across the board duty travel entitlement for TOC staff.

 

[RPI]

The question did not specify such cards and I think it is important to make it clear that there is no across the board duty travel entitlement for TOC staff.

Correct, and a Duty Pass is only issued to the relevant grades by Rail Delivery Group.

 

[12LDA28C]

The question did not specify such cards and I think it is important to make it clear that there is no across the board duty travel entitlement for TOC staff.

The question didn't need to, as the answer is that certain grades are issued with the Duty Authority To Travel card which does entitle them to the benefit described.

 

[BurningFeetMan]

As a local agreement SWR staff (I am unsure if this is extended to all First Group) get priv on Red Funnel, Wightlink and Hovertravel (foot passenger) and discount with a car. I know not a TOC but useful information none-the-less.

SWR also gets Island Line.

 

[dk1]

As a local agreement SWR staff (I am unsure if this is extended to all First Group) get priv on Red Funnel, Wightlink and Hovertravel (foot passenger) and discount with a car. I know not a TOC but useful information none-the-less.

SWR also gets Island Line.

As ex-BR we obviously get SWR and Island Line but only get foot passenger on Wightlink completely free.

 

[Merle Haggard]

For some time after their introduction, Pendolini Coach K was (??unofficially but blatantly) reserved for staff travelling in uniform (TOC, FC and TfL). A first class ticket holder would find the entrance door squarely blocked by a Virgin customer host. If persistence was tried the response was 'the air conditioning isn't working in there, sir, you wouldn't like it'. Further pressure resulted in being advised that 'there's plenty of vacant seats down there' with an arm movement. Unfortunate because, on 8/9 car sets, K was the unreserved first class coach. Strange how the chefs happily cooked in the heat of DMRFOs with persistent duff air-con problems

 

[dk1]

For some time after their introduction, Pendolini Coach K was (??unofficially but blatantly) reserved for staff travelling in uniform (TOC, FC and TfL). A first class ticket holder would find the entrance door squarely blocked by a Virgin customer host. If persistence was tried the response was 'the air conditioning isn't working in there, sir, you wouldn't like it'. Further pressure resulted in being advised that 'there's plenty of vacant seats down there' with an arm movement. Unfortunate because, on 8/9 car sets, K was the unreserved first class coach. Strange how the chefs happily cooked in the heat of DMRFOs with persistent duff air-con problems

I never understood why any passenger would want to sit in such an unwelcome coach. As said, lots of empty 1st class seats available elsewhere.

 

[Watershed]

For some time after their introduction, Pendolini Coach K was (??unofficially but blatantly) reserved for staff travelling in uniform (TOC, FC and TfL). A first class ticket holder would find the entrance door squarely blocked by a Virgin customer host. If persistence was tried the response was 'the air conditioning isn't working in there, sir, you wouldn't like it'. Further pressure resulted in being advised that 'there's plenty of vacant seats down there' with an arm movement. Unfortunate because, on 8/9 car sets, K was the unreserved first class coach. Strange how the chefs happily cooked in the heat of DMRFOs with persistent duff air-con problems

Unfortunately coach K is now the only first class coach on weekends. Apart from the amount of staff chatter, the fact that two rhirds of the coach is the kitchen and driving cab means you're forced to sit near the bogies, where the increased swing from the tilting sometimes makes me nauseous. Oh and there's only one table for 4, the rest is in the cramped 1+2 individual layout.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I never understood why any passenger would want to sit in such an unwelcome coach. As said, lots of empty 1st class seats available elsewhere.

As I mentioned Coach K was the unreserved one in a 9 car, and most seats in H and J would show 'reserved'. At the time I refer to - about 10 - 15 years ago - there often wasn't 'plenty of space' in the first; I have stood and also been already seated when later-boarding first class passengers have had to stand, such was business travel not that long ago.

But nowadays I agree there's usually spare seats, and the always-unreserved ones seem to spread between J and K - the seats on the single side at the end of J nearest K for instance.

Unfortunately coach K is now the only first class coach on weekends. Apart from the amount of staff chatter, the fact that two rhirds of the coach is the kitchen and driving cab means you're forced to sit near the bogies, where the increased swing from the tilting sometimes makes me nauseous. Oh and there's only one table for 4, the rest is in the cramped 1+2 individual layout.

On the upside, I (once!) found there was an advantage to being near the cab in coach K. Travelling one Sunday evening there were no at-seat staff and, ironically, the air-con wasn't perfect but, during the station stop at Coventry, the driver clearly felt sorry for us and brought a crate of bottled water through from the kitchen for passengers to share out, and apologised for the lack of service.

 

[matt_world2004]

All staff employed on any TfL mode get free travel on all other TfL modes.

As for routes like Moorgate-Finsbury Park or the Thameslink core, this is just the standard interavailability of Tube/NR tickets and applies to anyone, staff or not. So it probably doesn't need to be listed here.

London Bus operators do not get free travel on the interavailable routes

MTR/LO staff have a complicated arrangement of free travel on southern LNWR/GwR/AGA depending on their join date and region they work in. Eg if they TUPE across from AGA they retain free leisure travel

GwR get some sort of free travel arrangement on the elizabeth line as I have seen their staff presenting their ID card during revenue inspections

I don't think Heathrow Airport staff/Hex get discounted travel on the elizabeth line anymore. That was a provisional arrangement during the transition period. But GwR staff working for hex might

 

[NorthernTech]

Working for a FOC, we travel on all carriers, including the Underground with no issues for duty travel, in my personal experience. But apart from the ex-BR staff, we get no leisure discounts whatsoever! I have asked and got shot down pretty quickly, possibly because the managers and Aslef reps already have travel…

 

[12LDA28C]

Working for a FOC, we travel on all carriers, including the Underground with no issues for duty travel, in my personal experience. But apart from the ex-BR staff, we get no leisure discounts whatsoever! I have asked and got shot down pretty quickly, possibly because the managers and Aslef reps already have travel…

More likely because there's pretty much zero chance of anything being done. Some years ago ASLEF claimed they would investigate non-protected staff getting similar benefits to protected staff or at least a few 'boxes' per year to use which seems fair enough as non-protected staff must now outnumber those who worked for BR by a considerable margin. Unsurprisingly, nothing ever came of it.

 

[Haywain]

More likely because there's pretty much zero chance of anything being done. Some years ago ASLEF claimed they would investigate non-protected staff getting similar benefits to protected staff or at least a few 'boxes' per year to use which seems fair enough as non-protected staff must now outnumber those who worked for BR by a considerable margin. Unsurprisingly, nothing ever came of it.

If the unions wanted to do that they should have fought for it in 1995, not left it for 30 years.

 

[insomnimax]

Do Avanti and CrossCountry have any kind of reciprocal agreement or other arrangements for duty or residential travel? They share some routes (eg, Manchester - Bham).

 

[12LDA28C]

Do Avanti and CrossCountry have any kind of reciprocal agreement or other arrangements for duty or residential travel? They share some routes (eg, Manchester - Bham).

Rail staff get free duty travel on any main line operator whilst at work, using their duty pass, although staff maybe expected to show evidence of being on duty such as a diagram, schedule card or similar official documentation. Not sure if OA operators participate in this scheme though.

 

[Haywain]

Rail staff get free duty travel on any main line operator whilst at work, using their duty pass,

That may be the case for those who are issued with such a pass but it certainly doesn't apply to all rail staff. For the rest it will depend on the arrangements your TOC has with others and, beyond that, you will need a public rate ticket like anyone else.

 

[insomnimax]

For the rest it will depend on the arrangements your TOC has with others

Yeah, this is basically what I was wondering - if Avanti and XC have any such arrangements

 

[12LDA28C]

That may be the case for those who are issued with such a pass but it certainly doesn't apply to all rail staff. For the rest it will depend on the arrangements your TOC has with others and, beyond that, you will need a public rate ticket like anyone else.

Good point, I was referring to drivers specifically.

 

[MrsCake21]

If your commute each day to your depot, is with a different toc to the one you are working for and they have no arrangement together, then which ticket or pass would you need to apply for? Thanks

 

[Watershed]

If your commute each day to your depot, is with a different toc to the one you are working for and they have no arrangement together, then which ticket or pass would you need to apply for? Thanks

A discounted season ticket, known as "residential" travel. You need to submit form number XX01 here and get approval from RSTL. In the form, you can choose whether you want to buy the season ticket via RST Online or at a ticket office.

If you choose to buy it via RST Online, you can renew your season ticket online without having to fill in form XX01 again. If you choose to buy it at a ticket office, you'll have to fill in form XX01 and wait for the approval to come through, each time you renew your season ticket.

 

[Haywain]

Further to the comments above, if a monthly season ticket (7-day seasons are not allowed at Priv rate) doesn't look the best value, you do have the option of a Flexi-season. If you want that you either need a TOC smartcard to buy it at a station or a RSTL smartcard so that you can buy online, with the latter option giving much more flexibility.

 

[logicaldrinkin]

When setting the "to" station for a residential season ticket, would RSTL accept the nearest station to your workplace on the line you are living on, even if you actually work at a different station? Particularly with regard to London, for someone who isn't eligible to discounts on the tube.
For example, if you worked at London Marylebone but lived on the Elizabeth Line (say Ealing Broadway), could you get a season ticket to Paddington as it's the closest to national rail station to Marylebone on that line?

 

[Haywain]

When setting the "to" station for a residential season ticket, would RSTL accept the nearest station to your workplace on the line you are living on, even if you actually work at a different station? Particularly with regard to London, for someone who isn't eligible to discounts on the tube.
For example, if you worked at London Marylebone but lived on the Elizabeth Line (say Ealing Broadway), could you get a season ticket to Paddington as it's the closest to national rail station to Marylebone on that line?

In general terms I think that's fine but someone wanting a journey from, say, Romford to Paddington would have a problem in that there are no fares defined for the journey and non-safeguarded staff can't have a ticket to Zone U1, which is what TfL expect for the Elizabeth line core. As ever, safeguarded staff are treated differently.

 

[Watershed]

When setting the "to" station for a residential season ticket, would RSTL accept the nearest station to your workplace on the line you are living on, even if you actually work at a different station? Particularly with regard to London, for someone who isn't eligible to discounts on the tube.

In my experience, there is some flexibility and common sense in practice, even if the rules strictly speaking state that the season ticket must be issued between the closest stations to your home and workplace.

For example, if you worked at London Marylebone but lived on the Elizabeth Line (say Ealing Broadway), could you get a season ticket to Paddington as it's the closest to national rail station to Marylebone on that line?

I suspect that would be absolutely fine. You could add the reason to your application if necessary, I think there's a text field.

You can't buy a point to point season ticket between Ealing Broadway and Marylebone or Bond Street anyway - these do not exist. You can either buy a point to point season to Paddington (which can be discounted), or a Travelcard for Zones 1-3 (which would not be eligible for the discount).