National Rail Privilege Travel.

[1018509]

Following on from my thread about the TfL Privilege Ticket Authority Card (PTAC) I gather that these are not used by National Rail staff. What do National Rail staff have to obtain privilege rate travel?

It was stated in the first thread I created on this topic that TfL PTAC's were for retired staff. I had mine for most of my 42 years with London Transport and its successors although I think for the first few years of my employment they weren't called PTAC's and were (blue, I think) cardboard and had to be authorised yearly by you depot administration office.

 

[fireftrm]

Staff employed since 1997 who work more than 15 hours per week for a Rail Delivery Group member companies, the passenger train operating companies and some heritage railways, can get a Rail Staff Leisure Card, normally after a month's service, which allows tickets for leisure journeys at 75% discount, anytime/off peak/super off peak fares only. This is often referred to as a Priv (short for priviledge) and tickets purchased will show Priv or Staff Travel Card. There is no free travel. Teh same card is available for their partner and children under 18/dependants

Staff who were emplyed pre-1997 have a card with travel boxes, which they must date for use - these allow 48 hours free travel, the number of these boxes will depend upon their length of service and seniority, they can also purchase tickets at 75% discount. Rail Staff Leisure is not available to staff of freight operating companies, railway maintenance companies or Network Rail, though some of these staff may have been employed by British Rail prior to the 1997 privatisation and so still have their staff cards. Post-1997 staff lose their priviledge rights on retirement, or if they leave the railway.

 

[RJ]

I started service after March 1996 so I have a Rail Staff Leisure Card which gives Priv rate travel.

Those who have safeguarded benefits have a Staff Travel Card.

 

[Mag_seven]

Following on from my thread about the TfL Privilege Ticket Authority Card (PTAC) I gather that these are not used by National Rail staff. What do National Rail staff have to obtain privilege rate travel?

It was stated in the first thread I created on this topic that TfL PTAC's were for retired staff. I had mine for most of my 42 years with London Transport and its successors although I think for the first few years of my employment they weren't called PTAC's and were (blue, I think) cardboard and had to be authorised yearly by you depot administration office.

I suggest you have a read through this website - its fairly comprehensive regarding rail staff travel:

Rail Staff Travel

Welcome to Rail Staff Travel. In this section, you'll find information about how to use your rail staff travel facilities.

www.raildeliverygroup.com

Rail Staff Travel​

Rail Staff Travel (RST) provides rail staff travel facilities for eligible Active and Retired Employees of the rail industry and eligible family members. RST is part of the Rail Delivery Group.

 

[pdeaves]

Staff employed since 1997 who work more than 15 hours per week for a Rail Delivery Group member companies, the passenger train operating companies and some heritage railways, can get a Rail Staff Leisure Card, normally after a month's service, which allows tickets for leisure journeys at 75% discount, anytime/off peak/super off peak fares only. This is often referred to as a Priv (short for priviledge) and tickets purchased will show Priv or Staff Travel Card. There is no free travel. Teh same card is available for their partner and children under 18/dependants

Staff who were emplyed pre-1997 have a card with travel boxes, which they must date for use - these allow 48 hours free travel, the number of these boxes will depend upon their length of service and seniority, they can also purchase tickets at 75% discount. Rail Staff Leisure is not available to staff of freight operating companies, railway maintenance companies or Network Rail, though some of these staff may have been employed by British Rail prior to the 1997 privatisation and so still have their staff cards. Post-1997 staff lose their priviledge rights on retirement, or if they leave the railway.

I think your references to 1997 should be 1994 (not that it changes the gist of the message).

 

[CyrusWuff]

I think your references to 1997 should be 1994 (not that it changes the gist of the message).

TOC New Entrants (as they were originally called) are those who started on or after 1st April 1996.

 

[Haywain]

I think your references to 1997 should be 1994 (not that it changes the gist of the message).

It's 1996.

 

[pdeaves]

TOC New Entrants (as they were originally called) are those who started on or after 1st April 1996.

It's 1996.

OK; in that era I was in a non-TOC bit of ex-BR that seemed to work to a 1994 cut-off.

 

[Dstock7080]

It was stated in the first thread I created on this topic that TfL PTAC's were for retired staff. I had mine for most of my 42 years with London Transport and its successors although I think for the first few years of my employment they weren't called PTAC's and were (blue, I think) cardboard and had to be authorised yearly by you depot administration office.

TfL PTACs are also for active Staff still in service, who, as said above started before 1996.
The previous blue cards were also called Privilege Ticket Authority Cards (I still have mine from 2001-2003) and were indeed authorised by Admin staff.

 

[Andrew1395]

OK; in that era I was in a non-TOC bit of ex-BR that seemed to work to a 1994 cut-off.

If you were employed by British Rail on or before 31 March 1996 your staff travel facilities were safeguarded. If you worked for a subsidiary of BR privatised prior to that you got a different travel offer. As Railtrack was created out of BR and (I think was a subsidiary of BR) shares not sold until May 1996. I believe the 31 March 1996 date applied to Railtrack staff employed by it at that date.

 

[Wallsendmag]

A box’s 48 hours validity is a very simplistic view. It’s valid on the day entered and the day after, or if catching an overnight service it’s valid from 2200 the day prior to that entered. So if you date it at 1500 on day 1 it wouldn’t run out at 1459 on day3 it runs out at 0429 on day 3

 

[Watershed]

I think your references to 1997 should be 1994 (not that it changes the gist of the message).

Pensions rights are dependent on whether you were working for BR on 4 November 1993. However travel rights are dependent on whether you were working in the industry on 31 March 1996.

So in theory, you could have joined one of the newly privatised TOCs in February or March 1996, and would still have safeguarded travel facilities!

 

[Horizon22]

Somewhat related but don't GTR also have a PTAC similar scheme for Underground travel as some sort of reciprocal agreement?

 

[Andrew1395]

Pensions rights are dependent on whether you were working for BR on 4 November 1993. However travel rights are dependent on whether you were working in the industry on 31 March 1996.

So in theory, you could have joined one of the newly privatised TOCs in February or March 1996, and would still have safeguarded travel facilities!

That’s not correct. The safeguarding promise only applied to BR employees. Anyone joining a privatised part of BR would not get safeguarded travel. The only exception would be if they had worked for BR without interruption before joining their newly privatised employer, and it had a staff travel agreement in place with RST Ltd (itself a subsidiary of BR), which included a mobility clause permitting it to offer safeguarded travel facilities to a new employee who had enjoyed them through continuous service with BR.

Anyone joining a privatised business “off the street” could not receive safeguarded travel.

 

[fireftrm]

Yes apologies it was 1996, 31/03/96 so anyone after that is not safeguarded and doesn't get the free travel, though most train operating companies give their own staff free travel, which also applies to other TOCs they operate, such as Great Western Railway / TransPennine / South Western Railway as they are all First Group

 

[RJ]

Somewhat related but don't GTR also have a PTAC similar scheme for Underground travel as some sort of reciprocal agreement?

Yes, along with some LNER staff and Eurostar staff. The PTAC is bright yellow and endorsed TfL Rail Only. In return TfL staff get free travel on GTR between London Bridge/Elephant and Kentish Town, Priv rate season tickets on GTR and LNER and a fantastic discount on Eurostar.

 

[Falcon1200]

A box’s 48 hours validity is a very simplistic view. It’s valid on the day entered and the day after, or if catching an overnight service it’s valid from 2200 the day prior to that entered. So if you date it at 1500 on day 1 it wouldn’t run out at 1459 on day3 it runs out at 0429 on day 3

That's not how I understand it; There is no time entered in a box, just the date, and no matter what time the box is dated on Day 1 it will always expire at 2359 on Day 2.

 

[Wallsendmag]

That's not how I understand it; There is no time entered in a box, just the date, and no matter what time the box is dated on Day 1 it will always expire at 2359 on Day 2.

Nothing expires at 2359 the end of a days service is 0429 the next day. My point was because no time is entered in a box it can't last 48 hours.

 

[Haywain]

Nothing expires at 2359 the end of a days service is 0429 the next day. My point was because no time is entered in a box it can't last 48 hours.

Not only that, it can last as much as 54.5 hours.

 

[Falcon1200]

Nothing expires at 2359 the end of a days service is 0429 the next day. My point was because no time is entered in a box it can't last 48 hours.

When a day's service ends is irrelevant; I quote from the letter sent along with my 2021/22 Staff Travel Card Issue;

'Each box allows free travel up to midnight on the following day (If making an overnight journey the box may be used from 2200 on the preceding day)'.

So one box can in certain circumstances last an absolute maximum of 50 hours; But cannot run into a third day after the date written.

 

[Elecman]

When a day's service ends is irrelevant; I quote from the letter sent along with my 2021/22 Staff Travel Card Issue;

'Each box allows free travel up to midnight on the following day (If making an overnight journey the box may be used from 2200 on the preceding day)'.

So one box can in certain circumstances last an absolute maximum of 50 hours; But cannot run into a third day after the date written.

The train you catch has to depart before 23.59 but the box is valid until 04.29 if any train ran till that time, exactly the same as any public ticket in the same way

 

[Falcon1200]

The train you catch has to depart before 23.59 but the box is valid until 04.29 if any train ran till that time, exactly the same as any public ticket in the same way

Where is that specified please, because it is contrary to the rule detailed in my post #20 above ?