Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

espresso

jenny_f wrote:

this might seem a bit of a dumb question, but does anyone know or know how to find out how much a single from Milton keynes to birmingham new street is if you buy it on the day of travel - wlak up fare?

cheers guys

It will depend on the day and the time of travel. Have a look on thetrainline.

Little_Em

Hello all, first post, so hope this hasn't been on here before.

I am currently studying full time and commute from Hull to Huddersfield 3 days a week for lectures. I have a Young Person's Railcard, and have had numerous problems with rail staff not knowing the Ts & Cs.

Basically, I was sold a Saver Return daily for the first few weeks and was then told Northern Rail were making a mistake and this was not valid. The difference between the Saver and Standard Day Fares was £50 a month, not good when you're on very limited funding.

With a little online research, I discovered that the problem lies in the fact that my railcard is not valid before 9am. By travelling "out" from Huddersfield at 5.15pm, and returning from home the following day I can travel on the cheap fare on the same trains. A

Also, on busy services the conductor may not stamp your return ticket. Lots of returns are valid for a month, so reuse and get yourself a "free" coffee to keep warm when your train is late

sparkymark_3

Also, on busy services the conductor may not stamp your return ticket. Lots of returns are valid for a month, so reuse and get yourself a "free" coffee to keep warm when your train is late [/QUOTE]
be very careful this is also known as fraud - train companies will now prosecute anyone they feel is a fare dodger

gavina

Dear money saving experts.

I need to commute from Sheffield to Leeds, taking the Virgin service that stops only at Wakefield.

The cheapest option I can see would be to buy a South Yorkshire Travel Master, which covers all travel in the S Yorkshire area, including Sheffield, and a West Yorkshire Metro card, which covers all travel in the adjacent W Yorkshire area, including Leeds.

The conditions of carriage seem to quite clearly allow this, under section 19(a) below:

"19. Using a combination of tickets
You may use two or more tickets for one journey as long as together they cover
the entire journey and one of the following applies:
(a) they are both Zonal Tickets (unless special conditions prohibit their use);
(b) the train you are in calls at the station where you change from one ticket to
another; or
(c) one of the tickets is a Season Ticket (which for this purpose does not include Season Tickets or travel passes issued on behalf of a passenger transport executive or
local authority) or a leisure travel pass, and the other ticket(s) is/are not."

The definition of Zonal Tickets seems to include the passes I want to use:

"(q) “Zonal Tickets” are those tickets which permit travel only within a defined
area."

Despite the apparent clarity of these conditions, all the ticket office staff I have asked are absolutely adamant that I cannot use this combination of tickets on the Virgin service - though I might be able to use them on a slow train that stops at a station on the junction of the two regions. When I show them the conditions of carriage, they simply say, in effect, that these are just wrong, without offering any specific reason.

Can anyone advise me
a) if the tickets I want to use are permitted by the conditions of carriage?
b) how I can get a definitive judgement?

Thankyou very much for any help you can give me.

G

Jonapet

I used to work for the Rail Passengers Committee in the North East - before it was abolished. Unless Virgin has managed some sneaky dispensation in the past year, you can use the two PTE cards to travel between Sheffield and Leeds.
I clarified this when I was working for the watchdog last year.

Try writing to Passenger Voices - which has taken over from the Rail Passengers' Committee. Hopefully they can help you to clarify it again!

jenny_f

huddersfield to milton keynes any tips on splitting the journary as all the hudds birmingham cheap ones have gone??

cheers guys

Little_Em

sparkymark wrote:

Also, on busy services the conductor may not stamp your return ticket. Lots of returns are valid for a month, so reuse and get yourself a "free" coffee to keep warm when your train is late

be very careful this is also known as fraud - train companies will now prosecute anyone they feel is a fare dodger[/QUOTE]

Every day I have paid for and hold a valid ticket for the journey - numerous times have I sat there with my ticket ready to show and NO ticket check has been carried out on an hour and a half journey.

I have never "dodged" my fare.

ruthiejane

jenny_f wrote:

huddersfield to milton keynes any tips on splitting the journary as all the hudds birmingham cheap ones have gone??

cheers guys

You could try booking Huddersfield to Manchester Pic, and then Manchester to Milton Keynes. Its not a valid route for a through ticket, but as two separate tickets it might be quicker and cheaper.

jenny_f

booking for a friend now,

wanting to go from huddersfield to brighton outward on the 27th dec about 9am, returning 2nd jan about lunch time
with a YP card

cheers in advance guys

evesham1988la

jenny_f wrote:

booking for a friend now,

wanting to go from huddersfield to brighton outward on the 27th dec about 9am, returning 2nd jan about lunch time
with a YP card

cheers in advance guys

Out

11:35 Huddersfield to Wakefield Westgate (arr 12.08) - £1.45

12.17 Wakefield Westgate to London Kings Cross GNER (arr 14:12) - £9.50

14.40 Kings Cross Thameslink to Brighton (although due to engineering works there is a replacement bus service between Redhill & Three Bridges adding an extra half hr journey time) arr 16.06 – this portion bought as Saver Rtn - £17.70



Rtn

09.34 Brighton to Kings Cross Thameslink (arr. 10.47) – bought as part of Saver Rtn

11.10 Kings Cross to Wakefield Westgate (arr 13.17) - £9.50

13.29 Wakefield Westgate to Huddersfield GNER (arr 14.04) - £1.45

Total: £39.60

Only the GNER portions - Wakefield to Kings Cross needs to be bought in advance as they are quota controlled.