Student Rail Travel - Farce

funkyskunky

Hello All,

I am seeking some advice.

My daughter who is 16 has just left school to go to college. we have found out that the local authority will not fund the travel for my daughter as she is going to a college not in the correct catchment area. I can deal with that.

SO, we buy a 16-25 rail card for her to travel with to college at a cost of £5.15.
Now this is where the fun begins. It seems now that the 16-25 rail card is not valid between 4.30am and 9am so she will have to buy a full price adult ticket a cost of £10.10

The only alternative is to buy a season ticket @ £38 a week

So i am having to fork out just short of £160 a month to continue education for my daughter.

What the hell!!

Is there any advice on how i can get some help to fund this?

Andypandyboy

Ask the college if there is a bursary available for travel expenses.

wealdroam

funkyskunky wrote: »

Hello All,

I am seeking some advice.

My daughter who is 16 has just left school to go to college. we have found out that the local authority will not fund the travel for my daughter as she is going to a college not in the correct catchment area. I can deal with that.

SO, we buy a 16-25 rail card for her to travel with to college at a cost of £5.15.
Now this is where the fun begins. It seems now that the 16-25 rail card is not valid between 4.30am and 9am so she will have to buy a full price adult ticket a cost of £10.10

The only alternative is to buy a season ticket @ £38 a week

So i am having to fork out just short of £160 a month to continue education for my daughter.

What the hell!!

Is there any advice on how i can get some help to fund this?

You say you can deal with the extra costs of sending your daughter to a college outside their catchment area, but it appears you can't.

It might've been a good idea to read the terms of the railcard to see if it suited your needs before buying it.

The railcard gives a third off the adult fare, so if the adult fare is £10.10 then the railcard fare would be £6.75. Where does £5.15 come from?

As you have given no clues about what the exact journey might be, it is difficult to offer any advice beyond that offered in post #2.

jbuchanangb

Local authorities stopped providing free 16+ home to school transport donkeys' years ago. I quote from Essex County Council's web site:
"The standard charge for post-16 Transport is £900 per year."
And that is if the applicant meet their criteria. I guess you don't meet your local authorities criteria.

yorkie2

funkyskunky wrote: »

It seems now that the 16-25 rail card is not valid between 4.30am and 9am so she will have to buy a full price adult ticket a cost of £10.10

Almost, but not quite.

A 16-25 Railcard is valid at all times however there is a £12 minimum fare applicable before 10:00 Mondays-Fridays during the months of September-June (inclusive).

If travel is required before this time, I suggest purchasing one Season per half-term period, commencing on the first day of term and finishing on the last, taking into account any Bank Holidays, training days etc.

pjread

How far? A bicycle might be the best answer.... Peak rail travel is expensive in this country.

geerex

Hardly a farce. You chose a college outwith the catchment therefore having to pay for transport. You then bought a 16-25 railcard without actually checking if it would be of use for the journeys you intended to make.
This isn't a farce, it's simply a rant about the poor choices you made of your own volition.

angela110660

When our daughter went to college we found it cheaper to buy a season ticket ourselves rather than the restricted dates college one. She could then use the trains and visit friends who lived nearer the college at weekends and during breaks.