Ticket Prices SVR?

Rode from Bewdley to Bridgnorth last Tuesday and return. Bought ticket on train as instructed as Bewdley ticket office was shut.
Was charged £19-80 each. I questioned the high price but was told it was a standard 'Freedom of the line ' ticket and gave access to the Engine shed.

I said that I only wanted a straight forward return ticket, was advised that this was the only ticket available, so glumly parted with just under £40.

I rang the booking office and they confirmed the ticket price was correct.

My question is if I had bought a ticket from say Bewdley to Kidderminster would I have been charged the same?

Seems ridiculous to be charged for a journey that you are not making plus entry to an exhibit that you do not want.

Any Sevrail ticket people out there that can shed a little light?

 

Don't need to be a sevrail ticket person. The fare quoted of £19.80 appears to be correct from the SVR website, the fare from Kidderminster to Bewdley is £8 return, so presume it's £8 from Bewdley to Kidderminster return.
Like plenty things, if you don't agree, don't use it!

 

That's their policy, get over it! Many smaller railways do not offer return tickets full stop.

 

Rather harsh responses Springs Branch and JBTEvans. In fairness to the OP, it sounds like he was already 'using it' before he had chance to 'agree', so didn't have a chance to 'get over it' in advance of having to shell out.

On the other hand, it does highlight the (rather obvious) wisdom of making sure you are aware of the price of something before putting yourself in a position where you have to pay for it.

Personally I wouldn't travel on a preserved line without checking ticket prices/options online or by phone call first.

 

There is a fares list in the Booking Hall at Bewdley - so even if the Booking Office was shut, you should have been aware of the fare before you got on the train.

 

There is a list of fares on the website at www.svr.co.uk/Fares.aspx
(failing miserably to cut & paste as a link )

 

Harsh response?? Disagree. It was a factual response with a comment. It's not that hard, took me less than a minute to find the answer, didn't need to put on a forum or ring up to find the answer.

 

I agree with what you said but not the way you put it.

PH

 

You could have also travelled Bewdley - Kidderminster and return on that ticket and thus made a full round trip on the line. You would not have had to buy a separate ticket for Bewdley - Kidderminster.

As you have enough internet access to be able to post on here, I'm surprised you didn't bother to check prices online beforehand if ticket costs are so important to you.

 

Yeah but there seems too many people in life that want something for nothing. I remember somebody complaining on here about paying to gain access to Embsay on a gala day, then they said then the railway didn't benefit from money he was going to spend on an ice cream like it would allow them to overhaul a locomotive. People have moaned about GWSR galas being all rover ticket access as well. These railways cost a lot of money to maintain, I'm sure they'd charge less if they could.

 

The full line return acts as the Day Rover/Freedom of the Line (two terms are interchangable). Since the 90s, the Kidderminster to Bridgnorth and Bewdley to Bridgnorth have been the same (this was a reduction for the KR-BH not an increase for BY-BH). Thus the Bewdley to Bridgnorth return is the same as the FOTL.
The FOTL gives free entry to the Engine House. Prior to 2010, the full fare didn't include entry to the Engine House (£14 in 2009). Prices have (sadly) increases since then as they have for many other places.
Other fares for shorter journeys are available but as you were going BY-BH the full fare of £19.80 is correct.

 

Maybe Dadsie should have found out the prices before hand, but he did not, I an sure he is not alone in that.
As he is a NP Member and therefore has a positive view of a steam railway he was probably keen to support the railway and have a great day out. None of the replies here know of his circumstances and personal finances - £40, plus the cost of getting there, might not have been easy on his pocket!
He has a had a poor experience and may not return to the SVR again.
I suggest other travellers, not preservationists, finding themselves in a similar experience, might also give the SVR a wide berth if their day out is soured by what they consider a form of 'rip off'. I am not suggesting it is a 'rip off' but that view could easily be taken. We do not know how the SVR staff handled this; hopefully in a pleasant manner, however anyone who deals - or has dealt with - with the general public will know how easily these unpleasantries can occur.

 

It seems to be an example of the law of unintended consequences - the railway assumes it is doing passengers a favour by providing a FOTL ticket ( a sort of "bundling"), but the passenger who wants to go on just one journey, and not for the full line at that, thinks he is being hard done by as there is no cheaper ticket reflecting his only taking the benefit of part of the bundle. I don't think it is the absolute cost per se that is the issue.

Is the non-staffing of Bewdley (which seems to be carrying authenticity a bit far) due to lack of volunteers? I was unimpressed to find Kidderminster ticket office unstaffed several years ago on what was a fairly busy day, as buying a ticket at a traditional window is part of the experience.

 

It's not a bundle as such, a Bewdley-Bridgnorth return acts as a day rover for no extra cost.

As for staffing at Bewdley, it is usually good but like all departments it is voluntary and shortages do occur from time to time, same goes for Kiddy (though Kiddy does have the annoying habit of shuting early).

 

I must admit to having some sympathy with Daddsie. He only wanted to travel from Bewdley to Bridgnorth and return for whatever reason. If I was travelling on the same journey as him, I probably wouldn't have checked the ticket price beforehand and I would have expected the shorter journey to have been a bit less than a full line return ticket, which by default becomes a day rover. It may well have been the case that his journey was at such a time that he couldn't do a full line return journey. The problem with Bewdley ticket office being closed is that, once on the train, unlike standing at the booking office window, you do not have the choice of declining to pay the price.
Having checked the SVR website, the TTI was not wrong but I do think the SVR ticket pricing is not really visitor friendly.

 

No. A Bewdley - Bridgnorth return is not available, only a day rover. Thereis a significant difference.

 

No, the Bewdley-Bridgnorth return is the same price as a day rover, therefore a passenger might as well have the day rover.

 

No. The SVR website only quotes a fare which it states is 'freedom of the line' ticket..

 

Rubbish - he can get internet access to moan on here, so he could have checked beforehand if he is so worried about ticket prices.

 

What is the equivalent fare situation on the NYMR?