Currently spending £220 a month on train season ticket, ways to reduce this?

nantoniou

:eek: I'm spending £55 a week on train travel from Hatfield Herts - Old Street, using just the one train, 45 minute journey there and back and the train operator is FCC!

I have to use the trains 5 days a week for 9 months as it's a duration of my apprenticeship to get me into Central London and back 5 days a week.

I rang my train provider asking if they had any discount packages they offer to students traveling to their FE work placement (FE = Further Education) or college/school they said I could save 1/3 if I was travelling within the zones A - B or 1-2 on the Great Northern Line but it wouldn't be discounted from zone A - C C being Old Street station.

Is there a way of splitting the ticket by doing a Hatfield to Hadley Wood = £80 something a month and get a 16+ Oyster card and put a zones 1-6 monthly travel card (90 a month) on there as it will be valid from Hadley wood - Old street without touching in on the oyster reader because it's pre-paid. Meaning I would save £30-40 a month extra or is there any other way which can help students with train travel.

Before mentioning the 16-25 railcard I would be ending up spending £60 a week on travel because I start my journey before 9.30am 5 days a week.

Humphrey10

igonre this post...

HappyMJ

£55 for seven days how about £55 * 39 is £2,145
£211.20 for a calendar month? £211.20 * 9 is £1,900.80

Or you could just go for unlimited travel for a full 12 months at £2,200.

yorkie2

nantoniou wrote: »

Is there a way of splitting the ticket by doing a Hatfield to Hadley Wood = £80 something a month

£86.40 for a calendar month. But as I mentioned last time you asked this question, don't buy a ticket for a calendar month. Buy a ticket for a few extra days to make it last 5 weeks (e.g. 01 month & 02 days for a month of 31 days, or 01 month & 03 days for a month of 30 days, minus any days for annual leave/bank holidays as appropriate).

nantoniou wrote: »

and get a 16+ Oyster card

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14308.aspx

Yes, if you are 16 or 17

nantoniou wrote: »

and put a zones 1-6 monthly travel card (90 a month)

£96.80, but yes it appears so.

nantoniou wrote: »

on there as it will be valid from Hadley wood - Old street without touching in on the oyster reader because it's pre-paid.

It's a Travelcard, so providing you did not go outside the Zones 1-6 for which you are valid, then it does not matter if you do not touch in.

The train does need to call at Hadley Wood though.

FCC (and WAGN before them) used to allow non-stop trains but that changed last year (see http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36779 for the story of someone else who commutes from Hadley Wood to Old Street ) and now they require the train to call at the station where you change from one ticket to the next (in accordance with the Conditions of Carriage).

nantoniou wrote: »

Meaning I would save £30-40 a month extra or is there any other way which can help students with train travel.

Before mentioning the 16-25 railcard I would be ending up spending £60 a week on travel because I start my journey before 9.30am 5 days a week.

Well, I did mention last time, that it's actually 10am that the £12 minimum fare applies until, not 09.30 but it doesn't matter in this case.

nantoniou

HappyMJ wrote: »

£55 for seven days how about £55 * 39 is £2,145
£211.20 for a calendar month? £211.20 * 9 is £1,900.80

Or you could just go for unlimited travel for a full 12 months at £2,200.

There wouldn't be a point because I'm only on a nine month contract.

photome

The answer is in this thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3712227

My guess is Martin will be making it a sticky some time soon

ilovecandy

nantoniou wrote: »

:eek: I'm spending £55 a week on train travel from Hatfield Herts - Old Street, using just the one train, 45 minute journey there and back and the train operator is FCC!

I have to use the trains 5 days a week for 9 months as it's a duration of my apprenticeship to get me into Central London and back 5 days a week.

I rang my train provider asking if they had any discount packages they offer to students traveling to their FE work placement (FE = Further Education) or college/school they said I could save 1/3 if I was travelling within the zones A - B or 1-2 on the Great Northern Line but it wouldn't be discounted from zone A - C C being Old Street station.

Is there a way of splitting the ticket by doing a Hatfield to Hadley Wood = £80 something a month and get a 16+ Oyster card and put a zones 1-6 monthly travel card (90 a month) on there as it will be valid from Hadley wood - Old street without touching in on the oyster reader because it's pre-paid. Meaning I would save £30-40 a month extra or is there any other way which can help students with train travel.

Before mentioning the 16-25 railcard I would be ending up spending £60 a week on travel because I start my journey before 9.30am 5 days a week.

The best way for you to do this journey mate is to buy a monthly ticket to Hadley Wood for £91.40 a month. A 1-6 travel card for 16-18 is. £102.60 = £194.

yorkie2

ilovecandy wrote: »

The best way for you to do this journey mate is to buy a monthly ticket to Hadley Wood for £91.40 a month. A 1-6 travel card for 16-18 is. £102.60 = £194.

As I said 2 months ago, this is valid providing the train calls at Hadley Wood.

dzug1

This thread seems to offer good (cough cough) advice:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3712227