Occasional Train Blogging: Zone Pricing | 21 comments (21 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Don't comment on these threads/discussions too often ... but a short note of appreciation.

This is excellent and informative work. And, to be honest, the value of Eurotrib -- I doubt that I would have ever considered / seen anything about this without this community. And, I value that. Thank you.

A question ... taking it to today ... How does the explosion of information technology and reduced price for it change the value/approach of tiered/zone pricing? It makes it far easier to play with timed prices and be far more specific in terms of those prices without overburdening the train / railroad employees while maximizing (potentially revenue) while likely confusing (at least some) riders. Your thoughts?

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by a siegel (siegeadATgmailIGNORETHISdotPLEASEcom) on Sun Apr 8th, 2007 at 11:46:25 AM EST

Re: Just a kudo ... (none / 1)

Absolutely. Nowadays in most places tickets are printed by computers, and there are a great variety of special tickets (family/retiree/summer/3-day/rush-hour etc.). For major railways, zone pricing is now just one small part of a complex pricing. The problem is no more storing, sorting and finding the right ticket, but figuring out what special offers are applicable to a customer...

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Apr 8th, 2007 at 05:49:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Just a kudo ... (4.00 / 2)

I have heard from someone who worked for the SNCF ticket pricing software that developing the software handling the special offers for employees and family of the SNCF, ended up costing more than the sale of those tickets brought in...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sun Apr 8th, 2007 at 06:18:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Just a kudo ... (none / 1)

To plug that deficit, SNCF should hire cashiers from DB. German pro-rail groups regularly conduct test ticket purchases and then complain that cashiers very often won't tell of all the price reductions applicable... ;-)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Apr 8th, 2007 at 06:47:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Just a kudo ... (4.00 / 2)

You believe SNCF cashiers are any better? :)

Actually, a more annoying aspect of time-pricing (early seats cheaper than later one) is beginning a transaction at a certain price, only to find that by the time you are ready to pay, the seat isn't available anymore at that price...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sun Apr 8th, 2007 at 07:26:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Just a kudo ... (none / 1)

The time based ticketing in New South Wales is just peak / off-peak pricing, but if you are still paying for the ticket, you are not on the train, so you weren't supposed to be buying an off-peak ticket anyway.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Sun Apr 8th, 2007 at 11:33:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Just a kudo ... (none / 1)

Unfortunately. The pricing system Germany introduced a few years ago is an example of that, and it is maddening. It also in effect penalizes people who don't plan well ahead, meaning that cars become more attractive for that spontaneous weekend daytrip or unplanned meandering sightseeing vacation.

by MarekNYC on Mon Apr 9th, 2007 at 04:56:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Just a kudo ... (none / 0)

There was a big public outcry when that new pricing was presented and introcduced, and it is still problematic after some improvements. But we are now in the era of non-railway railway managers who look for maximised profits not passenger numbers, no surprises here... (Current DB CEO Hartmut Mehdorn was earlier manager for a press-making company and an aerospace company, and sat in the board of software giant SAP and energy giant RWE.)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Mon Apr 9th, 2007 at 06:13:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Occasional Train Blogging: Zone Pricing | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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