Daily, Season or other train ticket - confused

benjii

Dear Money Saving Experts,

Could you help me with cutting down the cost of a train journey as described below?

My wife has just changed her workplace location which means she will now have to take a return train from London Liverpool Street to Billericay every weekday.

I've checked the ticket prices at National Rail website and:

the daily return is £11.2 so alltogether: £56/week, around £246/month, or £2912/year:eek: (assuming 260 working days a year).

I've also checked the cost of the Season Ticket at the same website hoping that it would provide us with a signifficant saving. I found out the following prices,

Season Ticket: £69/week, around £266/month, or £2768/year,

so the weekly and monthly Season Ticket options turn out to be even more expensive that the daily option:mad: There is only a minor discount in case of an annual Season Ticket (which does not help us in any way as my wife says she will probably move to another location after 8-10 months...)

I've also checked the following MSE tips:
- breaking up the journey. Result: more costly:(
- the 16-25 Railcard. Result: no change in the daily ticket price:(
- advance ticket. Result: no change in the daily ticket price:(

Is there any other way to cut down the cost of this train journey?

Thanks,

Benjii

AdrianHi

I thought this sounded so absurd I went and checked daily vs. monthly season ticket myself for this route.
National rail enquiries shows a 1 day anytime ticket for £10.50 and then just as you say the monthly option works out equivalent to 25 days of single £10.50 tickets. If your using the train 5 days a week for work you'll never make more than 22/23 journeys in one month.
It's like they are billing you extra for the conveniance of not having to buy a ticket every day which your not likely to have time for.

benjii

AdrianHi, thanks for your understanding. It seems absurd to me as well.

Perhaps, is there anyone on the forum who commutes regularly and who can help me with this. Thanks.

AdrianHi

I save a lot buying weekly (£80) vs. daily (£32) and more going to monthly (about £305) season ticket. No real advantage going for an annual season ticket.
This is South West Trains, Alton, Hampshire to Waterloo though.

benjii

AdrianHi, it sounds like a logical pricing strategy. I think I will call the operator (National Express East Anglia) and ask for clarification and I'll negotiate it down perhaps.

newfoundglory

The advantage of the annual ticket is that it should be 12 months travel for the price of 10. You also get an annual gold card which should can save 1/3 on additional travel.

Also, you can take out an annual season ticket loan through some employers. This is re-paid interest-free on a monthly basis (and is deducted from your salary before tax I believe?)