Over priced train fares for 16 - 18 year olds

[phebe3]

Below is a copy of an e mail I sent to Rail Easy. We are trying to be green etc and thought that when we went to Brimingham to the Clothes Show, from Derby,and going on any other day trips we would use the train, HOWEVER..although my daughter is 16 she is still in full time education but gets no discount whatsoever on the trains, even if she is travelling with me (which for the majority of time she is as we go out as a family) The Family Railcard, which I have had before, stops at 15 years old. This seems RIDICULOUS to me..particularly since she ins't earning. It's not worth us buying a young persons railcard as that is for her alone and when we go out her sister (age 11) is usually with us too. also, she doesn't use the train except when she goes on a big day out with me. Looks like I'll have to drive to Brimingham which i don't really want to as I'm worried about finding my way! If we get the train it will cost nearly £40(tickets and parking at our station) :confused:

admin@raileasy.co.ukYes (admin@raileasy.co.ukYes) you do, the price varies from £20-£25.

Do you have to buy this?


Sent: 03 November 2008 12:16


She will need a Young Persons Rail Card to get a discount.
Regards

Subject: fares


My daughter is 16 and in full time education. She want to travel to Birmingham with friends (and possibly myself) to see the Clothes show in Birmingham. Does she have to pay the full adult fare price? Seems a little unfair if she does.

Thank you :confused:

[Livingthedream]

All the Walk-on fares are overpriced whether for an adult or child and come January 2009 they go up on average 6% :mad:

[Quentin]

A 16 year old is entitled to be part of a family group on a family railcard which was started when the child was 15.

So to get best value out of a family railcard, renew it the day before the child in question's 16th birthday, and she is entitled to discounted half price tickets until the day before she reaches her 17th birthday.

[phebe3]

too late for that...she was 16 in the summer when my last railcard ran out....

[Quentin]

If you buy another one with her sister in mind, she will at least benefit from the reduced adult fares - as all other adults in the party will!

[robt]

Do 16 year olds have to pay adult bus fares? Adult cinema tickets? Adult almost everything else?

[dzug1]

Do 16 year olds have to pay adult bus fares? Adult cinema tickets? Adult almost everything else?


Mostly yes - not many exceptions

[robt]

Mostly yes - not many exceptions

I thought as much. I don't see why the OP is so suprised/outraged.

[BruceyBonus]

Why are you contacting Rail Easy? They are simply an agent selling tickets for the train companies. You should be complaining to ATOC (Association of Train Operating Compnies).

[phebe3]

Beacause she is doing what the goverment and schools encourage kids to do and continuing in full time education. I feel she should get some discount....

We as a family don't cost the country much, have no loans, (cos we don't buy what we can't afford) don't use child care vouchers etc and pay all our nat ins etc contributions. I don['t sit around and I work hard to support my family. Just feel the scales are weighted sometimes...but then that's life...

Oh..and she DOES get cheaper bus fare and cinema tickets, discount in shops etc cos she is in full time education so that's why i was a little surprised we got no reduction on trains.
The reason i wrote to Rail Easy was that that was who I was dealing with initially.

But we are travelling by car now anyway..............

[firespire]

Does a group save (or similar) ticket help in anyway as when there are 3 or 4 people, they travel for the price of 2. Some companies offer a variation on the group save where it is 25% off for up to 9 people.
You need to be within off peak day return distance or if not see if you can split you journey to get groupsave tickets.

[omelette451]

Two solutions:
1. Buy the Family Railcard and the ticket as usual and if anyone asks just say she's 15 - it's unlikely they'll check, especially if it's obvious it's a family travelling, i.e. parent and children.
2. (the completely legal option) Will the 11-year-old be with you this time? If so you would count as 2 adults and 1 child, which still qualifies for a Family Railcard discount. You and the older daughter would get 33% off; the younger daughter 60% off.