Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 31/05/2015 10:41, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sat, 30 May 2015 11:51:18 +0100, Someone Somewhere
wrote:

On 30/05/2015 00:06, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2015 19:33:54 +0100, "
wrote:

Will TfL also operate the Stansted Express, BTW, or will Abelia continue
to hold that concession?

There is zero logic in TfL having any involvement in express services
to Stansted.


It may also bring the prices down....

It would not do so because TfL are now tied into a process of
requiring DfT consent to changing fares on NR routes that are devolved
to TfL. They are not permitted to undercut parallel TOC services. This
is all set out in a recent TfL Fares Advice paper to the Mayor. There
are also similar provisions in the Crossrail Agreement but the DfT
have carefully ensured those clauses are redacted in the publicly
available version of the agreement. I only know they apply to
Crossrail because what TfL said in the Fares Advice Paper. Anyone
expecting a cheap fares bonanza if TfL take over their rail services
is going to be disappointed.

Soooo.... does that imply that Crossrail fares to e.g. Heathrow are going
to be set at a rail rate (presumably Connect rather than Express) rather
than at Tube rate, ie the Piccadilly line?

Yes, I think so. The Heathrow tunnel is owned by HAL, who want to make sure
that HEx isn't undercut too much, particularly as Crossrail will also have
4tph, like HEx. Crossrail will be a bit slower, and the trains less swish,
but with the same frequency, and a much more useful range of destinations,
the majority of pax are likely to prefer it.

I just hope the official HEx ticket touts don't steer too many people on to
the more expensive, less useful service first. If they don't know to look
for it, visitors arriving at Heathrow T5 wouldn't see a Tube sign before
being sold a HEx ticket.