[Shearer]

@Bath_VIP I have repeated this trick since without a problem.

The sad thing is this isn’t a “trick” – it’s the rules! ATOC don’t want you to know however. But you can have fun on the likes of the trainline.

There are also some very strange anomalies with train tickets (anomaly is my word du jour): ie:

Annual Travelcard:

Westbury – London Travelcard is £9064 STD and £17936 FIRST
Castle Cary – London Travelcard is £8444 STD and £16056 FIRST

Westbury is closer to London. It’s the first stop after Castle Cary.

—–

If you have to do two journeys a week (at peak times) you may be better off with a weekly season.
For example:

Seven days unlimited travel between London and Sheffield is £264.00, (£439 1st)
Two Standard Class Anytime Returns between London and Sheffield is £390.00
Two 1st Class Anytime Returns is £532.00

—–

Want a Network Railcard but without those pesky minimum fares?
Buy an Annual Travelcard between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde St. Johns Road. It will set you back £148.00 but you’ll get an Annual Gold Card. That gives you cheap First Class upgrades during the week, 1/3rd off train tickets and if you are lucky, South West Trains will give you six vouchers for unlimited travel on their network at weekends. (basically all services from Waterloo)

[AMcWhirter]

Hi NIRscot

Good point re the value offered by season tickets.

This info is contained in the current issue of BT. What most people don’t realise is that the value of season tickets gets better the farther you travel.

For frequent travellers on routes like London-Manchester you need only make four return trips a month to break even on the cost of a monthly season.

BT also noted that with the first class seasons on Virgin (and EC too) you get free food and drinks.

I did read that there were so many commuters trying to get their free food on short trips like London-Peterborough that EC imposed some sort of restriction otherwise the catering would have been exhausted.

There is one drawback with the Network Railcard in that it covers mainly the southeast. It doesn’t cover business routes like London-Bristol, London-Birmingham, London-Leicester.

Also it’s not valid for use until after 1000hrs between Monday and Friday and so you might have to write off half the working day before you get to your destination.

[NTarrant]

LondonCity – the info about the Goldcard that NIRScot has written is not in the BT info. A Network card has a minimum fare of £13.00 on Monday to Friday, wheras the Goldcard does not. I have and have had for a number of years an annual Goldcard Ryde Esplanade to St Johns Road. The savings and free tickets recoup the cost many times, plus the upgrade is useful. Just because it can’t be used until 1000 on Monday to Friday, purchasing a single ticket to travel before 1000 at normal rate with a single at reduced rate for the return can in a number of cases still be cheaper.

NIRScot – yes you can go London – Manchester via Sheffield for the same price London – Mancheste direct, but only if you pay the higher any premitted price.

[Shearer]

“Any Permitted” price starts from £73.20 return, which isn’t too bad for the flexibility offered.

[NTarrant]

Indeed, it is a good price.

[Author]

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