Rail Regulator halts Great Western telephone sales surcharge

22 February 1999
ORR/99/05

The Rail Regulator, Chris Bolt, has today ordered Great Western Trains to drop their new surcharge of £1 for telephone ticket sales, and to refund all such charges that have been levied.

Commenting on this intervention, Chris Bolt said:

"Great Western Trains' telephone sales surcharge breaches both the spirit and the letter of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement between the railway companies, and therefore also breaches Great Western Passenger Trains' licence. I am concerned that passengers should not be overcharged. I have therefore told Great Western Trains that I shall expect to hear from them, by 1600 tomorrow Tuesday 23 February, that their surcharges will cease from 2000 tomorrow and that arrangements are in hand to return surcharges already received. If I do not have this assurance, I propose to issue a provisional enforcement order under section 55 of the Railways Act 1993. This will take effect from Wednesday 23 February 1999."

The Great Western telephone sales surcharge was introduced on1 February 1999. A similar scheme is in operation by Anglia Railways, who have been given similar instructions from the Rail Regulator.

Note for editors:

The Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) is an agreement, approved by the Rail Regulator, under which a Train Operating Company's (TOC's) Passenger Licence secures the mechanisms for setting, selling and for the acceptance of through and other tickets.

PRESS ENQUIRIES:

ORR Press Office - 0171 282 2007/2002
Out of office hours - Pager 0941 148521