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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Rail staff fares advice 'costly' | Rail staff fares advice 'costly' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Some UK train passengers are paying more than necessary for walk-on fares because of poor advice from rail staff, a survey by Which? suggests. | Some UK train passengers are paying more than necessary for walk-on fares because of poor advice from rail staff, a survey by Which? suggests. |
| The consumer group said station staff and the National Rail Enquiries phone line correctly answered only about half of 25 fare questions. | The consumer group said station staff and the National Rail Enquiries phone line correctly answered only about half of 25 fare questions. |
| But Which? said the Enquiries website did supply it with the "best deals". | |
| The Association of Train Operating Companies said the survey sample was too small to be representative. | The Association of Train Operating Companies said the survey sample was too small to be representative. |
| It said the National Rail Enquiries gave correct information on 96.1% of calls from October 2006 to March 2007 and to 97.2% for April to August 2007. | It said the National Rail Enquiries gave correct information on 96.1% of calls from October 2006 to March 2007 and to 97.2% for April to August 2007. |
| Prices doubled | Prices doubled |
| In the Which? survey, a single journey from London to Grantham in Lincolnshire was quoted as £44.50 when the passenger could have travelled for only £20 on a train leaving 10 minutes earlier. | In the Which? survey, a single journey from London to Grantham in Lincolnshire was quoted as £44.50 when the passenger could have travelled for only £20 on a train leaving 10 minutes earlier. |
| In another example, a passenger making a return journey between Swindon and Penzance twice in the same week could buy a Freedom of the South West rover ticket for £70, but both the enquiry line staff and station staff quoted £67 per journey - nearly double the cheapest price. | In another example, a passenger making a return journey between Swindon and Penzance twice in the same week could buy a Freedom of the South West rover ticket for £70, but both the enquiry line staff and station staff quoted £67 per journey - nearly double the cheapest price. |
| Which? called for staff training to be improved, while rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus said fare structures needed to be simplified to help passengers get the best deals. | Which? called for staff training to be improved, while rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus said fare structures needed to be simplified to help passengers get the best deals. |
| In response to the survey, the Association of Train Operating Companies also said the level of complaints about service had fallen yearly, with the current rate at one out of every 9,000 calls. | In response to the survey, the Association of Train Operating Companies also said the level of complaints about service had fallen yearly, with the current rate at one out of every 9,000 calls. |
| Atoc added that independent market research mystery shopper tests had shown that booking office staff sold the correct ticket 99.1% of the time. | Atoc added that independent market research mystery shopper tests had shown that booking office staff sold the correct ticket 99.1% of the time. |