Cheapest Gold Card season: Lapworth to Hatton?

[Ibl0010]

Hi all. New here. I was looking at alternative to network railcard and Lapworth to Hatton season ticket for ( annual gold card) was suggested as the cheapest route. My questions are :

1. Is Lapworth to Hatton season ticket still available to buy and will it come with annual gold card?

2. Assuming a form is needed to be filled in, will the application be rejected if the post code is not in the Lapworth and Hatton area?

3. When using the annual gold card, does the 6.30 to 9.30 for morning peak time / 16.30 to 19:00 off peak time still apply.

 

[alistairlees]

Hi all. New here. I was looking at alternative to network railcard and Lapworth to Hatton season ticket for ( annual gold card) was suggested as the cheapest route. My questions are :

1. Is Lapworth to Hatton season ticket still available to buy and will it come with annual gold card?

2. Assuming a form is needed to be filled in, will the application be rejected if the post code is not in the Lapworth and Hatton area?

3. When using the annual gold card, does the 6.30 to 9.30 for morning peak time / 16.30 to 19:00 off peak time still apply.

1. Yes. Yes.
2. No.
3. Use it any time after 09.30 on weekdays, and any time at weekends and bank holidays. You might find this page helpful.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Although you will be able to get Annual Gold Card discount for the vast majority of travel within the Annual Gold Card area after 0930, you'll still need to observe any Mon-Fri afternoon peak hour travel restrictions that may apply if using Off Peak tickets.

Interesting to note from the link kindly provided by @alistairlees that Annual Gold Card discounted travel isn't available on Cross Country services North of Banbury (which is the part of the network where Lapworth/Hatton are located, albeit noted they aren't directly served by XC).

 

[Hadders]

A couple additional things to add:

1. If you add the discount to an Oyster PAYG card then you get a discount on off peak fares and benefit from a discounted off peak daily cap. The discount is based on touch in time at the start of your journey and is given at all times when off peak fares are valid. This is generally where you touch in before 06:30 on weekdays (Euston to Watford Junction is an exception iirc). Generally off peak fares aren't available on weekdays between 16:00 and 19:00 however there are exceptions.
2. In addition to the Banbury exception mentioned above Gold Card discounted tickets cannot be used at all on Avanti or LNER services. This really is quite farcical as we've ended up with the situation where Network Railcard discounted tickets between Euston and Milton Keynes and Kings Cross and Stevenage can be used but Gold Card discounted tickets cannot.

 

[THC]

I have a Lapworth to Hatton annual season for precisely this reason. I had no problem at all purchasing it from my local station, which is Chelmsford, once I'd explained my reasoning to the booking clerk. She was quite amused and even called her colleagues over to show them what I had asked for while processing the transaction.

THC

 

[Uk125]

Sorry but what is gold card?

 

[swt_passenger]

Sorry but what is gold card?

In a huge area of the Southeast, annual seasons are issued as “Gold Cards”, and include as a benefit a railcard functionality. So if you do most or a lot of your travel in that area, it may be beneficial to get a cheap annual season just for its railcard capability. Especially if you happen to be in that age bracket where no other railcard is available. The Gold Card as a railcard has better validity than a Network Card.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Sorry but what is gold card?

Annual season tickets in an area which is largely London and the South East (and then some) are issued on special ticket stock which entitles holders to a discount when travelling on other routes in the area off peak. See pic below.



For more info on this subject, click on the link to the National Rail webpage contained in @alistairlees helpful post (#2) upthread.

 

[THC]

Sorry but what is gold card?

All in here: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46573.aspx

 

[Ibl0010]

Thanks all for answering my questions quickly. I have looked at the link and good to know that most transport operators are listed on the annual gold area.

I am based in London so most of my travel will be via tube, c2c, London overground and chiltern train.

Yes, I do plan to link the annual gold card to a pay as you oyster card for the tube discount. My experience of oyster card is that if I touch in before the start of the peak time (morning or afternoon) and touch out during peak time the barrier will still charge me off peak rate.

It is stated that the annual gold card can't be used before 9.30am, does this mean I won't get the annual gold card discount on the tube if I touch in say at 05.30 am and touch out say 7 am.

 

[island]

It is stated that the annual gold card can't be used before 9.30am, does this mean I won't get the annual gold card discount on the tube if I touch in say at 05.30 am and touch out say 7 am.

You will.

 

[MikeWh]

My experience of oyster card is that if I touch in before the start of the peak time (morning or afternoon) and touch out during peak time the barrier will still charge me off peak rate.

Yes. The decision between peak and off-peak single fares is solely decided by the touch in time at the start of the journey.

It is stated that the annual gold card can't be used before 9.30am, does this mean I won't get the annual gold card discount on the tube if I touch in say at 05.30 am and touch out say 7 am.

One of the benefits of using Oyster with a railcard. The discount is applied to all off-peak rail fares and the off-peak cap. Thus pre-0630 starts will be charged off-peak (and discounted), but they won't count towards the off-peak cap which doesn't start until 0930.

 

[Brooklands]

The cheapest season ticket (the last I heard) is Exeter Central to Exeter St David’s flexi, 3 stated weekdays plus weekends.
The annual qualified for a ‘Gold card’ and a few sales were made when I worked on the railway.
I stand to be corrected though as this was about 2 years ago.

 

[island]

I vaguely recall a thread a few years ago where it was said that part time seasons were not issued as gold cards.

 

[infobleep]

I vaguely recall a thread a few years ago where it was said that part time seasons were not issued as gold cards.

I have had two part-time annual season tickets between Exter St Davids and Exter Central. Both were issued on gold card stock.

The first one I purchased from South Western Railway and I then renewed it through a Govia Thameslink Railway Southern branded railway station.

If you go onto the season ticket calculator on the National Rail Enquiries Web Site, it refers to these part-time season tickets as Annual Season.

Season Ticket Calculator | National Rail

Use the Season Ticket Calculator to find the best ticket option and value for your money. Season tickets are great for regular travel between two destinations during peak times. Choose the best option and you will be directed to a ticket retailer website.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

A gold card is valid for an annual season ticket so I believe they should be issued on such card stock.

The Exeter ones cost £156.

Last year I broke even on the annual season ticket cost but only because I had a day out using free gold card tickets from South West Trains. A day I might not have otherwise had so the railway made a little on me in this respect.

This coming year I expect to break even with the journey's I'd be doing regardless of the gold card.

 

[bikesntrains77]

Last year I broke even on the annual season ticket cost but only because I had a day out using free gold card tickets from South West Trains. A day I might not have otherwise had so the railway made a little on me in this respect.

Are these still useable?

I still have a drawer full of SWT free "weekend day out" tickets that I can't use because I no longer have a gold card. If I got a SWR Gold Card, would they be valid again?

 

[island]

As far as I am aware, these were to be honoured only with a valid SWT-era season ticket, all of which have expired by now. But your mileage may vary.

 

[TEW]

Valid until further notice, provided a valid season is held was the policy from what I remember. It's been some time since I have seem one now mind and I suspect using one may not be trouble free.

 

[infobleep]

Valid until further notice, provided a valid season is held was the policy from what I remember. It's been some time since I have seem one now mind and I suspect using one may not be trouble free.

I used them last August with no issue including to Bath on GWR services where agreement was in place to carry SWR passengers from Salosbyry. And yes the ticket was checked.

I fully intend to use another end of this month and also in August.

 

[TEW]

I used them last August with no issue including to Bath on GWR services where agreement was in place to carry SWR passengers from Salosbyry. And yes the ticket was checked.

I fully intend to use another end of this month and also in August.

That's good to hear. I doubt there are too many people with them left now.

 

[E759]

Delicate balance between Network Railcard and Gold Card. Depends where you live, where you want to go and your like/loathing of Advances. Once you know where you want to go, plan trips using say TrainSplit specifying Network Railcard then the same trips using Gold Card. Most of my trips never used a Network Railcard as there was always a cheaper combination of tickets using Advances. So I never bothered getting the Hatton-Lapworth Annual myself.

Summary: Gold Card doesn't always provide the cheapest tickets.

 

[infobleep]

That's good to hear. I doubt there are too many people with them left now.

I suspect there is but they might not have an annual season ticket to use them.

Delicate balance between Network Railcard and Gold Card. Depends where you live, where you want to go and your like/loathing of Advances. Once you know where you want to go, plan trips using say TrainSplit specifying Network Railcard then the same trips using Gold Card. Most of my trips never used a Network Railcard as there was always a cheaper combination of tickets using Advances. So I never bothered getting the Hatton-Lapworth Annual myself.

Summary: Gold Card doesn't always provide the cheapest tickets.

Most of the journeys I make do not have advanced tickets. I am usually making short to medium distance journeys involving multiple TOC's. To be fair some of them are over £13 even with a discount.

It is being able to travel at 9:30 am that is helpful to me or for short journeys to nearby stations during the week. For example, Guildford to Woking, for which no advance purchase ticket exists.

Perhaps if I was travelling regularly between Didcot Parkway and Oxford, it might be different.

 

[[.n]]

I suspect there is but they might not have an annual season ticket to use them.

I wonder if that actually makes buying the SWR/Island Line ticket from Ryde Pier worth buying if it makes all my free weekend tickets valid again as an extra bonus, or indeed to be even safer a fully SWR Lymington Pier-Town ticket

 

[bikesntrains77]

I wonder if that actually makes buying the SWR/Island Line ticket from Ryde Pier worth buying if it makes all my free weekend tickets valid again as an extra bonus, or indeed to be even safer a fully SWR Lymington Pier-Town ticket

I have 10 "free" tickets, so am thinking of doing the same. Ryde is £192, but at £156, the suggestion from @Brooklands still wins it...

The cheapest season ticket (the last I heard) is Exeter Central to Exeter St David’s flexi, 3 stated weekdays plus weekends.
The annual qualified for a ‘Gold card’ and a few sales were made when I worked on the railway.
I stand to be corrected though as this was about 2 years ago.

 

[Bald Rick]

Have any members with a Hatton - Lapworth annual season ever used it for that specific journey?

 

[THC]

Not yet, but I will be using Lapworth station this Saturday - just approaching from the other direction!

THC

 

[infobleep]

Have any members with a Hatton - Lapworth annual season ever used it for that specific journey?

I've been to the Isle of Wight but never travelled on the Island Line and I wasn't on the Isle of Wight when I had that season ticket though.

I've also been to Exter by train but not since I've had my Exeter season ticket.

Going from Guildford to Exeter on a Friday morning would be the best value from one of the free tickets. I was planning this last year but then I had a radiator leak and could go. In the end, I went to Bath on a different day.