Railcard Prices

[A S Leib]

Because 16-25 Railcards do not offer a discount for First Class fares, except for Advance tickets.

And Grand Central fares.

Speaking of which, there's an off-peak first class return between Sunderland and Finsbury Park routed Grand Central only; it does have a Maltese cross, so would the expectation be to use the Victoria / Piccadilly line rather than Thameslink / Great Northern? There's also a 'not via London' fare from Sunderland to Watford (Met), which presumably means via Newcastle, Birmingham, Princes Risborough and Aylesbury; whether or not the ticket would be accepted at the Watford gate line, or if it's possible to buy that ticket, is beyond me.

Making a new thread.

 

[800Travel]

They've made a right dogs dinner of that! If you click through to the Terms and Conditions pages for each it correctly states that a discount is only available in Standard with a 16-25 Railcard.

Anytime Tickets
Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak Tickets

They got my hopes up tbh, oh well

 

[Alex365Dash]

I know that London Northwestern (and presumably West Midlands Railway) has student-specific term-length season tickets: do any other TOCs?

Southern offer a Unizone ticket covering travel in and around either Brighton or Worthing for students.

And, of course, this one’s age-dependent rather than by student status, but the entirety of England and Wales has the 16-17 Saver season discounts!

 

[AM9]

I still think it is a bit unfair that the Network Railcard is priced the same as other Railcards - that offer Nationwide travel and other perks, such as 1st Class tickets.

If anything, it should be priced slightly lower.

Not everyone in the 30 - 60 bracket is well off!

A well paid graduate can get a 26-30 railcard, yet a 30-60 year old on minimum wage can only get a Network Railcard.

I still remember when there was no minimum fare on the Network Railcard!

The range of railcards, their validity, discounts and purchase costs can be justified from two distinct angles:

1) their benefits are scaled loosely according to equality for each target group, with disabled at the top, then senior followed by the family student/young persons cards, with the pure leisure offerings like the Two Together and Network Railcards at the loweSt end benefit offered. Remember, equality provision is defined as creating equal opportunity taking in measures that equalise the impact on disadvantaged groups.​

2) their relative commercial marketing values to encourage rail travel outside the main travel patterns of working people. In this context, regular commuters already have discounted fares broadly equivalent to most railcards' 34% so an additional third discount would leave the high cost of intensive commuter service provision not paid for by those that benefit from them.​

There are exceptions to those general principles, in particular the veterans railcard which I belive is broadly a political creation that doesn't really fall fully in the two categories above.

 

[MrJeeves]

I know that London Northwestern (and presumably West Midlands Railway) has student-specific term-length season tickets: do any other TOCs?

Southern have their Brighton and Worthing Unizone tickets available if you have a 16-17 or 16-25 Railcard and proof of student ID for a selection of Sussex colleges and universities.

They're not term-length, though, instead being weekly, monthly or quarterly.

https://www.southernrailway.com/tickets/discounts-and-railcards/unizone

 

[Bletchleyite]

I know that London Northwestern (and presumably West Midlands Railway) has student-specific term-length season tickets: do any other TOCs?

Do they offer higher discount?

Every TOC offers term-length seasons, any length between a month and a year can be issued.

 

[MrJeeves]

Southern offer a Unizone ticket covering travel in and around either Brighton or Worthing for students.

Welp, missed page 3.

Do they offer higher discount?

Every TOC offers term-length seasons, any length between a month and a year can be issued.

Yes, 50% off adult for 16+, or 25% off child for 15 and under.

Termly Student Season train tickets

Get up to 50% off your travel to school, college or university!

www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk

 

[johnjdc]

Speaking of a squeeze on the consumer benefit of railcards, is there any mechanism for dealing with a journey where returns have been abolished, but the single is close to the railcard minimum price? This came to mind following a journey from London Victoria to Redhill, where a return would historically have been about £25 so about £16 with a Network Railcard, but now it's a £12 single each way with no Railcard discount, the minimum fare with a Railcard being £13. Feels like a minor injustice.

 

[JonathanH]

Speaking of a squeeze on the consumer benefit of railcards, is there any mechanism for dealing with a journey where returns have been abolished, but the single is close to the railcard minimum price?

No

This came to mind following a journey from London Victoria to Redhill, where a return would historically have been about £25 so about £16 with a Network Railcard, but now it's a £12 single each way with no Railcard discount, the minimum fare with a Railcard being £13. Feels like a minor injustice.

The return from Redhill to London isn't £25 at times when a Network Railcard is valid. It is cheaper than that.

Returns haven't yet been removed, even on the Phase 1 Project Oval routes.

 

[johnjdc]

No


The return from Redhill to London isn't £25 at times when a Network Railcard is valid. It is cheaper than that.

Returns haven't yet been removed, even on the Phase 1 Project Oval routes.

Thanks, the National Rail website is claiming that there's one for £24.20 (this is not a day return it's an overnight trip) but I could find no way of persuading the TVM that such a ticket exists.

The site also generates no discount when told the passenger has a Network Railcard, because while it claims to be a "return fare" it simply generates a basket containing two undiscounted single tickets.

What is the incredibly obvious explanation for whatever I'm doing wrong, and from what outlet can I purchase an actual return?

 

[skyhigh]

Thanks, the National Rail website is claiming that there's one for £24.20 (this is not a day return it's an overnight trip) but I could find no way of persuading the TVM that such a ticket exists.

That's because it's a combination of tickets - there is no period return on this route, they are all Day returns.

Anytime Day Single at £12.80 plus Super Offpeak Day Single in the other direction at £11.40 = £24.20 for a return trip where you're not coming back the same day (and Super Offpeak is valid).

 

[johnjdc]

Thanks, got it. So my problem stands but that's just life, I guess, and the answer is to stick to through ticketing from the most distant origin point, which happened not to be possible on this occasion because the remainder of the journey was triangular.

 

[paul1609]

Thanks, got it. So my problem stands but that's just life, I guess, and the answer is to stick to through ticketing from the most distant origin point, which happened not to be possible on this occasion because the remainder of the journey was triangular.

There's been no period return for journeys in the South East under approx 30 miles since BR days.

 

[MrJeeves]

There's been no period return for journeys in the South East under approx 30 miles since BR days.

Many more journeys up to 60 miles have no period returns either. Makes an overnight trip for me to London rather annoying.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Speaking of a squeeze on the consumer benefit of railcards, is there any mechanism for dealing with a journey where returns have been abolished, but the single is close to the railcard minimum price?

Not at present, but I believe it's being looked at given the expansion of Contactless and the move towards Single Leg Pricing.

How it will be achieved remains to be seen, however.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Some Railcards have already suffered significant diminution.
In the early days of the senior Railcard, certain discounts were 50%.
50%!
That would be nice.

Plus for many years Virgin let you use them on peak trains at the off-peak rate.

 

[johnjdc]

@cyrusswuff - further investigation suggests it might have been possible, and cheaper, for me to use contactless for this journey, in fact.

 

[Haywain]

There's been no period return for journeys in the South East under approx 30 miles since BR days.

Ironically, I got caught out by this yesterday because sometimes it isn't the case! To or from airport stations, for instance.

 

[paul1609]

Ironically, I got caught out by this yesterday because sometimes it isn't the case! To or from airport stations, for instance.

Strangely enough some of those were implimented following privatisation.