49-629: Plusbus is an add-on ticket, which can be purchased with National Rail train tickets in the United Kingdom. It allows unlimited travel on participating bus and tram operators' services in the whole urban area of rail-served towns and cities. The Plusbus scheme was launched in October 2002 across an initial 35 railway stations. The scheme is administered by Journey Solutions, a not for profit partnership of bus operators Arriva , FirstGroup , Go-Ahead , National Express and Stagecoach ,
98-532: A contactless debit/credit card. Contactless also covers some areas that Oyster doesn't such as the Elizabeth line to Reading, or the Thameslink station at Oakleigh Park. The most common types of tickets available include 'advance' tickets, that specify a specific route and timing between two destinations, 'off-peak' tickets, either as a single or a return, that allow a passenger to use a train at hours where
147-436: A different system. National Rail services share a ticketing structure and inter-availability that generally do not extend to services which were not part of British Rail. National Rail should not be confused with Network Rail . National Rail is a brand used to promote passenger railway services, and providing some harmonisation for passengers in ticketing, while Network Rail is the organisation which owns and manages most of
196-464: A high-speed line. While the RDG name was publicly adopted following the merger, the company's legal name has continued to be ATOC Limited. The RDG describes its primary purpose as enabling train operating companies and Network Rail to deliver better services for end customers. It performs various key roles in the operation of Britain's railways. Amongst these are defining the validity of tickets, producing
245-587: A number of technical manuals on which travel on the railways in Great Britain is based, such as the National Rail Conditions of Travel , via their website. Pocket timetables for individual operators or routes are available free at staffed stations. The last official printed timetable with up to 3000 pages was published in 2007. Now the only complete print edition is published by Middleton Press (as of October 2016). A digital version of
294-486: A relationship with various regional and municipal transport authorities, such as Transport for London . An early pledge made by RDG was the simplification of the British railway ticketing system. During the summer of 2018, it announced measures in line with this objective, including the renaming of half a million tickets, the adoption of simpler language, and a redesign of ticket machines. The RDG has worked closely with
343-426: A valid ticket boarding a train at a station where ticket-buying facilities are available are required to pay the full Open Single or Return fare. On some services penalty fares apply – a ticketless passenger may be charged the greater of £20 or twice the full single fare to the next stop. Penalty Fares can be collected only by authorised Revenue Protection Inspectors, not by ordinary Guards. National Rail distributes
392-409: Is approximately half-funded by Network Rail, the remainder of its funding being provided by the various transport groups it represents. The current incarnation of the RDG was created in 2017 from the merger of ATOC and a preceding organisation with the same brand. It performs industry-wide communications, defines ticket validity, participates in the formulation of railway policy, and is responsible for
441-624: Is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group , an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England , Scotland , and Wales . The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board , from 1965 using the brand name British Rail . Northern Ireland , which is bordered by the Republic of Ireland , has
490-482: Is the UK's largest and most accurate travel information website, peaking at more than 10 million visitors per day, more than its nearest competitors. The National Rail website includes a journey planner , fare and live departure information. The site is designed to complement the myriad different websites of Britain's privatised rail companies, so when users have selected which tickets they wish to buy, they are redirected to
539-637: Is the data system that powers all the real-time information which customers use to check the status of train journeys. In 2024 Darwin celebrated its 20th anniversary. Rail Delivery Group The Rail Delivery Group Limited ( RDG ), previously the Association of Train Operating Companies , is the British rail industry membership body that brings together passenger and freight rail companies, Network Rail and High Speed 2 . The RDG
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#1732782764852588-554: Is the joint responsibility of the Office of Rail and Road (allocation of paths) and Network Rail (timetable production and publication). Since March 2020 all ticket revenue has been collected by the Department for Transport, which also pays the operators' costs. Following the privatisation of British Rail there was no longer a single approach to railway corporate design. The look and feel of signage, liveries and marketing material
637-647: The Deutschlandtarifverbund (German Tariff Association) is responsible for railway ticket revenue distribution. Political representation of established companies is carried out by the Association of German Transport Companies ( Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen , VDV), whereas public relations of new entrant TOCs are chiefly dealt with by Mofair e.V. In Spain the Asociación Española de Empresas Ferroviarias de Viajeros (Spanish Association of Passenger Rail Companies) represents
686-617: The Community Rail Network to support local organisations active on their railway lines and station facilities; this initiative was claimed to have boosted the accessibility of railway services. Since its launch, the RDG has supported Rail to Refuge, a joint initiative between several passenger train operators and Women's Aid (an English charity), which provides free train travel within Britain for women, men and children travelling to escape domestic abuse . In response to
735-586: The Confederation of Passenger Transport and the Rail Delivery Group . Plusbus won the International Road Transport Union Eurochallenge Award in 2007 for its model of private partnership providing outstanding social and customer value. Plusbus is available in 290 towns and cities, London is a notable exception. It gives the rail traveller unlimited local bus travel around the whole urban area of
784-570: The Elizabeth line (formerly TfL Rail ) are hybrids: Their services are operated via a concession awarded by Transport for London (TfL). They are part of National Rail as train operating companies , where tickets can be used in the same way as other operators, and shown in the National Rail timetable. However, under Transport for London, they are considered as separate networks. They are listed separately in all materials produced by TfL than National Rail, stations serving London Overground or
833-411: The Elizabeth line only do not have the National Rail logo shown on either the station themselves or the tube map, and fares on these two networks are priced as TfL services, the same as London Underground , rather than National Rail services. The National Rail service status web page by TfL also does not list these two systems. London Overground also owns some infrastructure in its own right, following
882-590: The London Underground uses its own tracks in the majority of its network, it also runs on Network Rail tracks and shares tracks with National Rail services, both on its own tracks and on Network Rail tracks. Twenty-five privately owned train operating companies were each franchised for a defined term by government in 1996–97. They operated passenger trains in Great Britain. However, franchises have ceased to exist and are being replaced by operating contracts, which do not involve significant commercial risk for
931-497: The London Underground , Docklands Light Railway , London Tramlink , Blackpool Tramway , Glasgow Subway , Tyne and Wear Metro , Manchester Metrolink , Sheffield Supertram , West Midlands Metro and Nottingham Express Transit . On the other hand, the largely self-contained Merseyrail system is part of the National Rail network, and urban rail networks around Birmingham , Cardiff , Glasgow and West Yorkshire consist entirely of National Rail services. London Overground and
980-645: The National Rail and 'Britain Runs on Rail' brands. Furthermore, it is responsible for several international products, such as 'Britrail' and Interrail . The marketing of the Railcard scheme also comes within the organisation's scope. The RDG is partially responsible for railway policy formulation; it works with the Rail Supply Group and other parties to coordinate shared objectives. It also has
1029-513: The National Rail Enquiries service. The RDG operates several brands and services, including Interrail and National Rail . Since its creation, it has undertaken several initiatives, such as the opening-up of automatic ticket gates and ticket machines to competition, and the incorporation of new anti- fare evasion technologies at stations. During 2023, the RDG announced the planned closure of many staffed ticket booths across
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#17327827648521078-478: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the RDG quickly led a scheme to provide free rail travel to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict. The management of station-based automatic ticket gates and ticket machines across the majority of British railway stations has been a particularly active area for the RDG. Throughout the 2010s, in coordination with the Office of Road and Rail , the organisation worked to open
1127-479: The National Rail logotype and is displayed on tickets, the National Rail website and other publicity. The trademark rights to the double arrow symbol remain state-owned, being vested in the Secretary of State for Transport . The double arrow symbol is also a generic symbol for a railway station across Great Britain, and is used to indicate a railway station on British traffic signs. The National Rail (NR) logo
1176-417: The National Rail network and mostly operate for heritage or pleasure purposes rather than as public transport, but some have connections to National Rail track. National Rail services have a common ticketing structure inherited from British Rail . Through tickets are available between any pair of stations on the network, and can be bought from any station ticket office. Most tickets are inter-available between
1225-437: The UK. ATOC was a representative organisation for the various passenger train operating companies operating in Britain; it was established in the wake of the privatisation of British Rail by the train operators for the purpose of ensuring the continuation of various nationwide services, such as ticket acceptance and railcard schemes. ATOC also lobbied on the operators' behalf on various matters. On 24 October 2017, ATOC and
1274-541: The definitive National Routeing Guide , and contributing to the National Fares Manual , which is distributed by the National Rail website. The organisation is responsible for the allocation and settlement of revenue through ORCATS systems. It also handles the licensing (accreditation) of third party ticket sellers, such as travel agents and online sellers (such as Trainline and Red Spotted Hanky). RDG also performs industry-wide communications with
1323-749: The fixed assets of the railway network, including tracks, stations and signals. However, the national rail website domain is managed by The Rail Delivery Group on behalf of UK based train operating companies. According to their own website, they are a 'membership organisation that works on behalf of the rail industry to create a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain.' The two generally coincide where passenger services are run. Most major Network Rail lines also carry freight traffic and some lines are freight only. There are some scheduled passenger services on privately managed, non-Network Rail lines, for example Chiltern Railways which runs on both Network Rail track and tracks owned by London Underground . Although
1372-434: The former British Rail Rail Alphabet lettering to varying degrees in station signage, although its use is no longer universal; however it remains compulsory (under Railway Group Standards) for safety signage in trackside areas and is still common (although not universal) on rolling stock. The British Rail typefaces of choice from 1965 were Helvetica and Univers , with others (particularly Frutiger ) coming into use during
1421-543: The full timetable is available as a pdf file without charge on the Network Rail website; however, passengers are recommended to obtain their timetables from the individual train companies. The National Rail website, previously called National Rail Enquiries, handles an average of 2.5 million journey planning enquiries every weekday through its website, apps and contact centre, and through information services supplied to third parties (such as open access data feeds). It
1470-404: The most relevant train company website, where they can buy their tickets without booking fees. In 2012 the website was joined by a mobile app mirroring its functionality. The app is available for iPhone , Android and Windows Phone . In June 2020, a real time personalised messaging service, Alert Me, was launched, providing real-time disruption and crowding information via Messenger. This
1519-415: The nation’s neglected railway industry". The NR title is sometimes described as a "brand". As it was used by British Rail, the single operator before franchising, its use also maintains continuity and public familiarity; and it avoids the need to replace signage. The lettering used in the National Rail logotype is a modified form of the typeface Sassoon Bold . Some train operating companies continue to use
Plusbus - Misplaced Pages Continue
1568-600: The network; later that same year, the plan was officially abandoned in the face of public opposition. The current RDG has its roots in two preceding organisations, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), and the Rail Delivery Group. The original Rail Delivery Group was established in 2011 to formulate policy and undertake communications on behalf of the entire railway industry, its membership having comprised all passenger and freight operators in
1617-528: The operators. The Rail Delivery Group is the trade association representing the TOCs and provides core services, including the provision of the National Rail Enquiries service. It also runs Rail Settlement Plan , which formerly allocated ticket revenue to the various TOCs, and Rail Staff Travel, which manages travel facilities for railway staff. It does not compile the national timetable, which
1666-1013: The origin and/or destination town(s) of their rail journey. It is not valid with train journeys made within the same city or town. Prices start from £2.50 for a day's travel, in addition to the rail fare. Season tickets are available for most destinations. Railcard holders get one-third off Plusbus day ticket prices. Children (aged under 16 years old) get 50% off Plusbus day ticket prices. Plusbus tickets can be purchased with train tickets from all National Rail station ticket offices, by phone, through National Rail travel agents and selected self-service ticket machines. Over 200 bus and tram operators participate in Plusbus schemes across Britain. Tickets are also sold by all train operating companies online and most third-party online rail ticket retailers. Originally issued in traditional paper format, some operators have facilitated its inclusion on their smart card platforms. National Rail National Rail ( NR )
1715-411: The original RDG were merged to form the Rail Delivery Group. The new organisation is owned by its members, which comprise Network Rail , the nationalised owner of Britain's rail infrastructure; the various train operating companies that provide passenger services; the freight operating companies ; the Rail Supply Group (RSG) that represents suppliers to the industry; and HS2 Ltd , the company building
1764-524: The public, and is responsible for the National Rail Enquiries service. Between 1997 and 2004, the outsourcing specialist Serco was subcontracted to operate the National Rail Enquiry Service by ATOC. The RDG's public relations activities include the sponsorship of various schemes, such as PlusBus , PlusBike, and Bike and Go, as well as staff travel arrangements for both current and retired railway employees. RDG owns both
1813-433: The reopening of the former London Underground East London line and the extension to Barking Riverside . Eurostar is also not part of the National Rail network despite sharing of tracks and stations (along High Speed 1 ). Northern Ireland Railways were never part of British Rail, which was limited to England, Scotland and Wales. There are many privately owned or heritage railways in Great Britain which are not part of
1862-518: The rollout of contactless payment methods in the South East of England by the end of 2023. In November 2023, the organisation invited suppliers to present proposals for a nationwide contactless ticketing system. In July 2023, RDG announced proposals for the closure of many ticket offices across the network. Several organisations spoke out against this change; Disability Rights UK raised concerns, stating: "The outcome will reduce confidence in
1911-444: The same carbon commitment, which was referred to as 'The Green Travel Pledge' and was cited on its website and via Rail Delivery Group media. In June 2023 the website was completely overhauled with an entirely new frontend retaining little of the old designs but the brand logo remained. The website is quoted as saying its website is, "cleaner, more modern, and full of better information". In addition, its original mobile website which
1960-402: The sectorisation period after 1983. TOCs may use what they like: examples include Futura ( Stagecoach Group ), Helvetica ( FirstGroup and National Express ), Frutiger ( Arriva Trains Wales ), Bliss ( CrossCountry ), and a modified version of Precious by London Midland . Several conurbations have their own metro or tram systems, most of which are not part of National Rail. These include
2009-510: The service is not busy, and 'anytime' tickets, which can be used on any train. Season tickets, which offer unlimited travel between two stations for a specified period, are also available. A 'rover' travel card ticket also exists that allows unlimited travel in a set area or on services of certain operators, for a certain period of time. Rovers which allow unlimited travel for only one day are sometimes referred to as ranger tickets, and are usually available for smaller areas. Passengers without
Plusbus - Misplaced Pages Continue
2058-505: The services of all operators on routes appropriate to the journey being made. Operators on some routes offer operator-specific tickets that are cheaper than the inter-available ones. Through tickets involving London Underground , or to some ferry services ( RailSail tickets) are also available. Oyster pay-as-you-go can be used on National Rail in Greater London from 2 January 2010. These same areas can also be journeyed to using
2107-490: The supply and operation of this equipment to greater market competition. Upgrades to these barriers have also been carried out, including the use of new technology for catching fare evaders; in 2023, the organisation estimated that roughly £240 million in lost revenue was being incurred through fare evasion across Britain's railways annually. The RDG worked with the Department for Transport and other entities to support
2156-512: The website. However, the website was quickly reverted back to its original design the same day following customer accessibility feedback. In July 2021 the Department of Transport published the world’s first ‘greenprint’ to decarbonise all modes of domestic transport by 2050 in the UK. It was published two months before the climate summit COP26, and planned to provide a world-leading ‘greenprint’ to cut emissions from 'seas and skies, roads and railways'. The nationalrail.co.uk website also signed up to
2205-608: The whole railway system and end the ability for far too many Disabled people to travel by rail at all." Negative opinions on public safety and security were also voiced. In October 2023, the planned closures were abandoned in the face of opposition from the public and from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) trade union , which was taking strike action at the time. As rail franchising also takes place in other countries, many of these nations have one or more equivalent organisations. In Germany,
2254-526: Was a sub-domain (m.nationalrail.co.uk now redirects) was switched off. Earlier in 2024 National Rail's digital journey planner was also switched off and redirected to the new version. Online Journey Planner (OJP) was the engine used to plan routes, calculate fares and establish ticket availability. The OJP accesses real-time information directly from Darwin, meaning all journey plans take account of delays, schedule changes and train cancellations. The OJP data feed APIs are available for use under licence. Darwin
2303-643: Was followed in September 2021 by a similar service made available through WhatsApp. The service was closed in June 2023 leaving only a simple SMS based messaging service in place for customers. Both services were provided by a British transport technology company Zipabout. In April 2021 the National Rail website turned from colour to greyscale in a tribute to The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who had died. The gesture however backfired after users highlighted accessibility issues and complained they could no longer use
2352-693: Was introduced by ATOC in 1999, (previously British Rail logo as used from 1965), and was used on the Great Britain public timetable for the first time in the edition valid from 26 September in that year. Rules for its use are set out in the Corporate Identity Style Guidelines published by the Rail Delivery Group, available on its website. "In 1964 the Design Research Unit—Britain’s first multi-disciplinary design agency founded in 1943 by Misha Black, Milner Gray and Herbert Read—was commissioned to breathe new life into
2401-495: Was largely the preserve of the individual TOCs. However, railway reforms which are currently in progress will restore the pre-privatisation position, with design responsibilities for the whole network resting with the new 'guiding mind', Great British Railways. However, National Rail continues to use BR's famous double-arrow symbol , designed by Gerald Burney of the Design Research Unit . It has been incorporated in
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