Buying a weekly rail ticket (16-17 saver)

Spendless · 4 September 2019 at 5:30PM

I recently bought a 16-17 saver for my daughter who is going to college out of area.

After also purchasing a photocard because it works out slightly cheaper to buy a weekly pass than individual tickets for the 3 days she's there, I asked for one to start next Monday, only to be told that I couldn't buy one that far in advance, I could only buy a weekly saver on Sunday this week for the week ahead because it's a new one. If it was to be continual then I could buy the next one (for the w/c 16th Sept) no earlier than Friday next week (13th Sept) but each time I 'broke' the continuity, such as I won't be buying one at all Oct half term week, then I'd go back to only being able to buy the day before for that time.

This was at the railway station where I tried to buy. Anyone come across this before?

KeithP · 4 September 2019 at 6:22PM

Yes, that has been in place for many years - at least twenty-five to my knowledge.

See the answers to the question When can I buy a Season Ticket?
on the National Rail Enquiries website.

surreysaver · 4 September 2019 at 6:55PM

You might find it cheaper to buy one for each half-term to begin on the first day of term and to expire on the last day of the half term. That would be pro-rata to the monthly rate

Spendless · 21 September 2019 at 8:27AM

Thanks for the responses and the link to info. I've never bought anything other than a day return so wasn't aware of any buying restrictions and I didn't come across that info on either the 16-17 saver card website or the one that told me she needed a photocard, so had no reason to look at national rail enquiries.

Daughter currently starts college on a Monday so at least we're getting the weekend to purchase. However she's now changing her course and will attend a day later, which means we can only buy the day before. As she's been unsettled I've only been buying a week at a time, but will be going to each half term ticket to reduce costs, so at least we've only got a few times a year to purchase.

KeithP · 21 September 2019 at 7:39PM

Spendless wrote: »

I've never bought anything other than a day return so wasn't aware of any buying restrictions and I didn't come across that info on either the 16-17 saver card website or the one that told me she needed a photocard, so had no reason to look at national rail enquiries.

Which is why I gave you the link.

Buying a weekly rail ticket (16-17 saver)

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