London Banter - View Single Post

Arthur Figgis · May 15th 12, 10:15 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 14/05/2012 22:51, wrote:
On 14/05/2012 22:07, Arthur Figgis wrote:

Do TfL people get FIP travel abroad, like the post-privatisation
National Rail types do (but apparently often don't know about)?

Don't know, but I once met somebody who worked for Network Rail and
joined the organisation before 1997. Besides free rail travel throughout
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, he claimed
that he would be able get free rail travel on the continent, though he
would have to first write to the relevant agency.

That's the one. I often travel with a friend who uses it. It is a
bizarrely complex system, with a paper pass issued for each country. The
passes are printed with a set number of boxes which have to be dated and
are then valid for two consecutive days of travel. This confuses
grippers who haven't seen one before; there seems to be a roughly even
split between grippers saying "what is that and why have you written
yesterday's date?" and "ah, I've just come back from a trip to Kyle of
Lochalsh using my own boxes".

Don't know if that privilege included tube and bus, though.

Valid on "national rail" type systems and a few off-shoots like ferries
only, I think, with things like franchised and minor operators being a
bit unclear. It occasionally seems to work for national railway museums,
but that might be unofficial.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK