Thinking of getting the train to work - discount?
Discussion
I know this may be frowned upon by many, I warn you now unless you know about train discounts this is a boring and pointless post and it does hurt part of my piston driven soul to say it but I've just sat down and done my budget for this year and decided with my new job I shall be taking the train to work which is 26 miles away thus 52 mile round trip in the car which normally results in me being stuck in a traffic jam, putting wear on my car, getting stressed, taking just as long as it would to get home on a train or to work, and having to leave my car parked on a main road by work about the same distance away from the office as the train station is Aside the huge bonus of having my car parked 5 minutes drive from my house in a secure car park under cctv in a relatively nice area,less stress, frustration and boredom as the drive is pretty crap on the way there is the cost element attatched too. Assuming i do 29mpg on the motorway i worked it out that i would save £2,080 per annum on fuel alone taking the train.
Now I'm 19 and I want to spend as little on rail travel as possible as its not something i want its merely a necessity in my situation so what im wondering is does anyone know of any discount clubs, discounts available or schemes I can become apart of which would entitle me to discount on season cards? Way im seeing it the more I save the more I have towards a deposit for a buy to let property I have my eye on. Ive seen this which I believe I'm eligible for http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/online But i dont believe this would give me discount on a season card and cover the times I would wish to travel (Peak times) and im not a full time student. I would be traveling from Barnt Green (BTG) which is where I live to Worcester Foregate street [WOF] Although I could Travel from Kings Norton [KNN] via University (Birmingham) If needed. Basically I want to travel this route as cheaply as possible and any help/advice is more than welcome. I know plenty of people on here are experts at finding cash back schemes, discount clubs etc so the reason for my post is in hope that someone will know of somewhere which such a club/discount would exist on my journey.
Sorry to everyone else who's time ive just wasted after reading that and has no interest in the matter at all :-)
Many thanks
Now I'm 19 and I want to spend as little on rail travel as possible as its not something i want its merely a necessity in my situation so what im wondering is does anyone know of any discount clubs, discounts available or schemes I can become apart of which would entitle me to discount on season cards? Way im seeing it the more I save the more I have towards a deposit for a buy to let property I have my eye on. Ive seen this which I believe I'm eligible for http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/online But i dont believe this would give me discount on a season card and cover the times I would wish to travel (Peak times) and im not a full time student. I would be traveling from Barnt Green (BTG) which is where I live to Worcester Foregate street [WOF] Although I could Travel from Kings Norton [KNN] via University (Birmingham) If needed. Basically I want to travel this route as cheaply as possible and any help/advice is more than welcome. I know plenty of people on here are experts at finding cash back schemes, discount clubs etc so the reason for my post is in hope that someone will know of somewhere which such a club/discount would exist on my journey.
Sorry to everyone else who's time ive just wasted after reading that and has no interest in the matter at all :-)
Many thanks
I think it will be very difficult to get a large discount off a season ticket, as you're probably finding. A season ticket represents quite a saving in itself already. My first class monthly to London is £707. The same daily peak return is £90, so once I've travelled more than 7 days in the month it's saving money.
Also don't forget its these tickets that subsidise the off peak discounts, so they're not going to want to make too many concessions, plus the trains are busy enough at peak times as it is, you don't want to make the pricing more attractive to people who would otherwise travel off peak.
Also don't forget its these tickets that subsidise the off peak discounts, so they're not going to want to make too many concessions, plus the trains are busy enough at peak times as it is, you don't want to make the pricing more attractive to people who would otherwise travel off peak.
The 16-25 railcard won't help you with a season ticket as it doesn't apply to peak time tickets (barring July and August)
For that journey as an annual you are looking at
Barnt green > Worcester fgt st, Not via Birmingham is £848
The same again but any permitted is £1088
From Kings Norton to Worcester fgt st its £1200
Don't forget with an annual you do get a 1/3 off of offpeak travel for you and the same for people who travel with you on the same journey (so the journey your annual covers or any journey that you also have a ticket for)
As its a London midlands route and they have the same parent company as the TOC I work for I'm assuming that their annual tickets will work as a 'railcard' as well.
I can give you monthly prices if you'd like to compare but with the monthly you don't get any of the discounts.
you'll find it hard to get further discounts as it works out that you only pay for so many months rather then all 12 months.
I know one of the TOC was recently running a promotion if you applied for your renewal/season ticket online but I'm sure that has expired now.
Also if you do check online don't just check the usual ticket sites. Check TOC sites as well as many of them issue TODs now with less fees then the conventional sites.
Its always best to check with stations. We can help sometimes.
For that journey as an annual you are looking at
Barnt green > Worcester fgt st, Not via Birmingham is £848
The same again but any permitted is £1088
From Kings Norton to Worcester fgt st its £1200
Don't forget with an annual you do get a 1/3 off of offpeak travel for you and the same for people who travel with you on the same journey (so the journey your annual covers or any journey that you also have a ticket for)
As its a London midlands route and they have the same parent company as the TOC I work for I'm assuming that their annual tickets will work as a 'railcard' as well.
I can give you monthly prices if you'd like to compare but with the monthly you don't get any of the discounts.
you'll find it hard to get further discounts as it works out that you only pay for so many months rather then all 12 months.
I know one of the TOC was recently running a promotion if you applied for your renewal/season ticket online but I'm sure that has expired now.
Also if you do check online don't just check the usual ticket sites. Check TOC sites as well as many of them issue TODs now with less fees then the conventional sites.
Its always best to check with stations. We can help sometimes.
Edited by LovelyTia on Monday 16th January 06:58
thanks guys, as for fuel and parking...Parking is free at our local station and is secure In that its covered by CCTV and has a large car park off the road. Solves my current issue of parking in a road at work as well... Fuel i cant be bothered to factor as its 1.1 miles to the train station from our house... If i was to drive then it would be a 52 mile round commute so Train would save me £2,040 per annum but just wanted to see if there was any way I could increase this saving but my suspicions are correct!!
LovelyTia said:
The 16-25 railcard won't help you with a season ticket as it doesn't apply to peak time tickets (barring July and August)
For that journey as an annual you are looking at
Barnt green > Worcester fgt st, Not via Birmingham is £848
The same again but any permitted is £1088
From Kings Norton to Worcester fgt st its £1200
Don't forget with an annual you do get a 1/3 off of offpeak travel for you and the same for people who travel with you on the same journey (so the journey your annual covers or any journey that you also have a ticket for)
As its a London midlands route and they have the same parent company as the TOC I work for I'm assuming that their annual tickets will work as a 'railcard' as well.
I can give you monthly prices if you'd like to compare but with the monthly you don't get any of the discounts.
you'll find it hard to get further discounts as it works out that you only pay for so many months rather then all 12 months.
I know one of the TOC was recently running a promotion if you applied for your renewal/season ticket online but I'm sure that has expired now.
Also if you do check online don't just check the usual ticket sites. Check TOC sites as well as many of them issue TODs now with less fees then the conventional sites.
Its always best to check with stations. We can help sometimes.
Thanks mate much appreciated, Will check them out before I go ahead and buy anything! For that journey as an annual you are looking at
Barnt green > Worcester fgt st, Not via Birmingham is £848
The same again but any permitted is £1088
From Kings Norton to Worcester fgt st its £1200
Don't forget with an annual you do get a 1/3 off of offpeak travel for you and the same for people who travel with you on the same journey (so the journey your annual covers or any journey that you also have a ticket for)
As its a London midlands route and they have the same parent company as the TOC I work for I'm assuming that their annual tickets will work as a 'railcard' as well.
I can give you monthly prices if you'd like to compare but with the monthly you don't get any of the discounts.
you'll find it hard to get further discounts as it works out that you only pay for so many months rather then all 12 months.
I know one of the TOC was recently running a promotion if you applied for your renewal/season ticket online but I'm sure that has expired now.
Also if you do check online don't just check the usual ticket sites. Check TOC sites as well as many of them issue TODs now with less fees then the conventional sites.
Its always best to check with stations. We can help sometimes.
Edited by LovelyTia on Monday 16th January 06:58
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