season ticket

jenny_f

this is going to be quite vague as I'm not 100% sure of the arrangements as yet but just wanting some help/tips/advice.

I'm due to be starting a job in London The first week will be spend in various London locations but eventually its one location. This is only for 3 months.

I'm going to be commuting but as yet am unsure where from - it could be one of a number of stations (Stevenage/Ashwell/Letchworth/Baldock).

I have an oyster card and a young persons railcard. I've looked at season ticket prices but are these based on a standard adult fare - as I don't pay that due to having a YP railcard.

Can season tickets be used from several stations or does it just have to be one specific station?

Thanks for the help - hopefully I'l know more soon!

msmicawber

It's been a few years since I had a season ticket and then it was from one specific station to another. However, it's worth finding out about which zone each of the stations that you are travelling from and to is in as you can get travel cards that give unlimited journeys for specific zones then use any stations within those zones.

I'd also suggest that you check the conditions of your YP rail card as it may preclude you using rush hour services and affect which would be the best deal for you.

Don't forget to ask your new employers about whether they give season ticket loans. It's an interest-free loan, so always worth it, if available.

dzug

Season tickets are normally from a named station. However, they can also be used at any intermediate station - so if you had one from Ashwell, say, you could use any of the other stations you mention. But if you had one from Stevenage, you couldn't use it from Baldock.

tubechallenger

Here's some basic fares:

A Stevenage to All Zones season ticket for 3 months is £1016 in standard class, Baldock is £1147, Letchworth is £1111.

You cannot get a YP discount on any season ticket - so let me just put something into perspective.

I'm going to use Letchworh as my "base" for this - so all fares I come up with are based on a Letchworth to all zones.

A peak day travelcard is £23.00, and an off peak day travelcard is £18.00. Remember there are severe restrictions on the young persons railcard fare in the peak and I believe in the London and South East you can't travel until after 0930. The off peak day travelcard restriction code is C4, and the following restrictions are applied to the ticket:

• You cannot arrive into London before 1000.
• You cannot leave London on any train departing London Kings Cross or Moorgate between the times 1630 and 1901.

Now, assuming a month is 4 weeks, and 3 months is 13 weeks (4 weeks + 1) then if you purchase peak day travelcards then the cost would be £1495 (calculated based on 13 weeks travel, with tickets being purchased for 5 out of 7 days a week) - if you purchase off peak day travelcards the cost would be £1170. As you can see - purchasing a season ticket is a saving on the Letchworth to all zones fare.

However, you could also do the following as per ATOC rules on combining two tickets (one being a season to allow through travel):

• Purchase 3 'monthly' zone 1-2 Oyster travelcards at £89.10 each (£267.30).
• Then purchase a Letchworth Garden City to Finsbury Park season ticket (this ticket will allow you to get non stop trains through Finsbury Park - simply ask for both tickets to be issued on paper so you don't get any hassle from RPIs or guards. In order to get it on paper ask at a ticket office that is NOT Underground and does not sell Oyster cards) priced at £818 for 3 months.

As a result - the total cost is £1085.30.[

Hope that helps.

Tom

jenny_f

thanks guys - this all seems aqfully confusing!

I guess I'll have to figure out which station I'm going to be going from the majority of the time.

The eventual location is going to be Zone one. With possible occasional trips to zone 3. Other zones may be needed but I'm unsure of this

jenny_f

tubechallenger/Tom - you've been a great help.

I've tried looking into it further but seem to get more and more confused!

Is it possible go get a Finsbury Park to other zone 1 season ticket? Or would I just do oyster pay as you go?

Also I've read about a London Travel card which you can use from a station outside london and in all london zones - would this be worth looking at or is it more expensive?

Also - a season ticket from Stevenage to Finsbury Park is cheaper but am I correct in thinking if I bought one from Letchworth then I could use it from Stevenage should I wish to or is there something in the T&C about this.

Thanks for all your help.

jenny_f

ooh - one more question! not all train from letchworth stop at finsbury park - would this be a problem?

dzug

Most of your questions have already been answered - just browse through the answers again.

However, you have inadvertently I'm sure been misled about your YP railcard - it IS valid for peak hour travel. The only stipulation is a minimum fare of £8 for discounted tickets and £16 for undiscounted tickets if travelling before 1000.

http://www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk/min_fares.htm

That means you can buy the peak travelcard for £16 a day, covering your whole journey - or just over £1000 for 3 months. If there are any days you can travel off peak or not at all - a bit cheaper.

tubechallenger

Doh about the YP limit - I generally work with different restrictions being in the SW Trains area (we limit fares differently for some odd reason) - as we don't accept YPs on any of hour 'peak' hour trains (trains arriving at 1000 (the CDR restriction) is when our restriction gets 'lifted').

Tom

dzug

tubechallenger wrote: »

Doh about the YP limit - I generally work with different restrictions being in the SW Trains area (we limit fares differently for some odd reason) - as we don't accept YPs on any of hour 'peak' hour trains (trains arriving at 1000 (the CDR restriction) is when our restriction gets 'lifted').

Tom

The YP railcard publicity doesn't mention SW trains being different. Maybe you are confusing it with the Senior railcard and/or Network railcard where there are time restrictions?

tubechallenger

I definately can't sell any tickets with YP discount as being "valid" on any of our peak time long distance services ... the ticketing system itself simply doesn't permit it.

Odd - though, shall look into it further.