Rail Staff Travel Guide for Non-Safeguarded National Rail Staff Rail Staff Travel is part of the Rail Delivery Group Rail Staff Travel Guide for Non-Safeguarded staff Contents Section 1: Introduction ___________________________________ 5 Section 2: Types of Travel and the concession available ________ 6 Leisure Travel _____________________________________________ 6 Residential Travel (i.e. commuting) ____________________________ 7 Duty Travel _______________________________________________ 8 Section 3: Rail Staff Travel products ________________________ 9 Rail Staff Leisure Card _______________________________________ 9 Reduced Rate Season Ticket _________________________________ 10 Obtaining a Reduced Rate Season/Flexi-Season Ticket ________________ 10 Refunds of Reduced Rate Season Tickets ___________________________ 10 Refunds of Reduced Rate Flexi-Season Tickets _______________________ 10 Photo ID card for Reduced Rate Season Ticket _______________________ 11 Photo ID card for Reduced Rate Flexi-Season Ticket __________________ 11 Reduced rate season ticket for partners _______________________ 11 FIP International Reduced Rate Card __________________________ 11 International FIP Coupons __________________________________ 12 Loss & Replacement of Rail Staff Leisure Cards or Passes __________ 12 Section 4: Joining, mobility within, and leaving the rail industry 13 Joining a TOC _____________________________________________ 13 Working part time _________________________________________ 13 Moving from one TOC to another TOC_________________________ 14 Resignation, retirement, redundancy or dismissal _______________ 14 Section 5: Eligibility of family members ____________________ 15 Partners and child dependants_______________________________ 15 90-011-032 D7430AA v14 Aug 2021 Rail Staff Travel Page 2 of 50 Rail Staff Travel Guide for Non-Safeguarded staff Divorce or separation from a spouse/partner _______________________ 15 Children no longer dependant on the employee _____________________ 16 More eligibility information ______________________________________ 16 Facilities for a couple, both employed in the rail industry _________ 16 Section 6: Travel on National Rail _________________________ 18 Leisure Travel ____________________________________________ 18 Priv-rate tickets _______________________________________________ 18 Staff Travel Restrictions and complimentary refreshments _____________ 21 Class of Travel _________________________________________________ 21 Seat Reservations ______________________________________________ 22 How to buy a Priv-rate ticket, and what to do if this is not possible ______ 22 Residential Travel (Commuting) ______________________________ 23 Sleeper Services __________________________________________ 24 Caledonian Sleepers ____________________________________________ 24 Great Western Railway sleepers __________________________________ 26 Travel Irregularities ________________________________________ 26 Complaints ______________________________________________ 27 Section 7: National Rail services in Great Britain _____________ 29 Section 8: Other undertakings in Great Britain_______________ 30 Rail _____________________________________________________ 30 Eurostar _____________________________________________________ 30 Grand Central _________________________________________________ 31 Heathrow Express _____________________________________________ 31 Hull Trains ____________________________________________________ 31 London Tramlink_______________________________________________ 32 West Coast Railway Company ____________________________________ 32 Heritage Rail (generally not on the National Rail network) _____________ 32 Shipping _________________________________________________ 34 P&O Ferries (Dover-Calais & Hull-Rotterdam) _______________________ 35 Stena Line Irish Services _________________________________________ 36 Irish Ferries ___________________________________________________ 38 Windermere Lake Cruises _______________________________________ 38 90-011-032 D7430AA v14 Aug 2021 Rail Staff Travel Page 3 of 50 Rail Staff Travel Guide for Non-Safeguarded staff Buses ___________________________________________________ 39 Buslink to Luton Airport _________________________________________ 39 Section 9: Travel in London ______________________________ 40 National Rail Services in the Oyster area _______________________ 40 Section 10: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland ______ 43 Section 11: Foreign Undertakings _________________________ 44 European (FIP) Arrangements _______________________________ 44 Free Travel ___________________________________________________ 45 Reduced rate travel – FIP Cards ___________________________________ 49 Booking reduced rate tickets or obtaining reservations for free travel ____ 49 90-011-032 D7430AA v14 Aug 2021 Rail Staff Travel Page 4 of 50 Rail Staff Travel Guide for Non-Safeguarded staff Section 1: Introduction This is a guide to the National and International rail staff travel facilities granted to employees who joined rail employment on or after 1 April 1996. Employees who joined the rail industry on or before 31 March 1996 should refer to the guide Travel Guide for Safeguarded staff. The eligibility for facilities is defined in the TOC Privilege Travel Arrangement. This guide gives you an overview of the benefits you might enjoy. It is not a legally binding document. The TOC Privilege Travel Arrangement is a non-contractual arrangement reviewed annually by TOCs and which may be withdrawn at any time. TOC or group concessions available through specific employers are outside the scope of this Guide. Use of travel facilities is subject at all times to the: • Rail Staff Travel Conditions of Issue and Use www.raildeliverygroup.com/rst/conditions-of-issue-and-use.html • National Rail Conditions of Travel www.nationalrail.co.uk/nrcot • Travel Restrictions (updated twice a year) www.raildeliverygroup.com/rst/where-can-i-go.html. You can get further information from Rail Staff Travel by emailing [email protected] 90-011-032 D7430AA v14 Aug 2021 Rail Staff Travel Page 5 of 50 Rail Staff Travel Guide for Non-Safeguarded staff Section 2: Types of Travel and the concession available The purpose of your journey determines which type of rail staff travel facility you can use. Leisure Travel This is classified as travelling for social/pleasure reasons (as long as it does not fall within the Residential Travel or Duty Travel categories or involve trading or other remunerative activity). The use of Priv tickets for leisure travel is permitted for both employees, partners and child dependants. Type of Concessions available Notes Travel National: Priv-rate (75% discount) Priv-rate of Off-Peak tickets is Leisure of full fare (Anytime) subject to yearly renewal of the Travel agreement by TOCs. Priv-rate (75% discount) of Off-Peak Tickets Discounted rate on many Rovers and Rangers International Unlimited 50% discount Available after 1 years’ service. Leisure travel with an (discounted) International Reduced Rate Card (CIE, NIR, SNCB, and SNCF discount is 75%) 90-011-032 D7430AA v14 Aug 2021 Rail Staff Travel Page 6 of 50 Rail Staff Travel Guide for Non-Safeguarded staff Type of Concessions available Notes Travel International Limited free travel with Available after 1 years’ service. Leisure one free coupon in each (free) calendar year per A coupon is valid for 3 months carrier (a few offer two giving 4 x 48-hour periods in coupons in each which unlimited free travel is calendar year). available. (Stena coupons are 2 x 48-hour periods for travel). Mandatory reservations and supplement charges Some carriers give none for may apply on High- partners and dependant Speed and long distance children. services. Other UK Generally Priv-rate, but Leisure railways and ferries there are differences by have their own offers and operator. restrictions- see the relevant section for more information. London (TfL) None on London National Rail concessions apply Underground and on TfL Rail and TfL Overground Docklands Light Railway services. but free travel on London Tramlink Residential Travel (i.e. commuting) Residential Travel is travelling from your permanent place of residence (i.e. your home address) to your permanent place of regular employment (i.e. your office, depot or station) or education (i.e. a university, college or school), i.e. commuting. 90-011-032 D7430AA v14 Aug 2021 Rail Staff Travel Page 7 of 50 Rail Staff Travel Guide for Non-Safeguarded staff Employees can have only one place of regular employment and a child dependant one place of regular education. The use of Reduced Rate Season Tickets for Residential Travel is only permitted for employees and dependant children. These can be purchased once Rail Staff Travel has issued an authorised season ticket form. The use of single/return Priv-rate tickets for residential travel is not permitted for employees, partners or child dependants. Type of Concessions available Notes Travel National: Priv-rate (75% discount) Season ticket authority, for Residential of full fare season ticket eligible travel, must be obtained Travel from RST before purchase at station. Duty Travel Duty Travel is travelling as required by your employment or employer during the working day. This includes attending training events and meetings. The use of Priv tickets for Duty Travel is prohibited for both employees, partners and child dependants. 90-011-032 D7430AA v14 Aug 2021 Rail Staff Travel Page 8 of 50 Rail Staff Travel Guide