Buying season tickets

[TPMB12]

I'm planning on commuting by train regularly as it works out cheaper than the van. Route is three stops along the line run by northern with TPE secondary. My travel times are on northern trains.

So I'm looking at both train line app and northern website for season ticket options. They're both coming up with the same prices but it looks like it's only for one way.

Am I being stood here? Are these tickets already assuming you're traveling both ways in a day included in b the listed prices?

There's no ticket booth at my station and train times mean I'll not get to the front of the queue at main  station. I reckon someone here will know the answer.

[Rod Marton]

Season tickets should be for unlimited travel between the two named stations. So both directions.

A couple of tips:
Firstly, check out split ticketting options. It is often cheaper to buy season tickets from A to B and B to C rather than one ticket from A to C.
Secondly, if you are buying a paper ticket, do so from a station and not online. The station and online purchasing systems are not integrated. So if you buy online and something goes wrong, e.g. losing the ticket, it is seriously difficult to arrange a replacement as the station systems aren't set up for it and the online system is useless (I speak from experience here).

[TPMB12]

I get off at the third stop after 21 minutes travelling. Close distance between stations. I doubt there's an a to b, b to c cost saving.

I've ordered a smart card which I load the season ticket onto. Online but I know people who had issues but sorted them through online system plus phone calls to people. Often speaking to someone sorts things out.

As to losing the card that's unlikely to be an issue. I'm overprotective about cards since I associate money with them. That's not going to happen short of a violent mugging! I'm OCD about certain items,  keys,  wallet,  cards,  etc.  They have their set places all the time. I could crawl through a smoky house blindfolded and I'd come out with my keys and wallet. It's been my coping mechanism for so long I can't help it now. 

BTW it's a bit misleading on their websites the figure indicating effective daily price compared to day return tickets. All season tickets seem to give a low figure but that's only based on 7 days,  full calendar month or a full year less 21 days iirc. Most commuters are unlikely to use it at the weekends or the holidays which is 28 days full entitlement in the UK. This all adds up to inaccurate savings estimates. Which is what they want because its better to get the money in and not have to carry the consumer than only getting the full ticket price occasionally.

[citoyen]

In recent years, increasing numbers of people have been cutting down their commutes to 3-4 days a week, WFH on the other days, and there has been much lobbying for 'part time' season tickets to suit this arrangement. Once we all get back to 'normal' after the pandemic, this is likely to become the standard arrangement for many more people - me included - so the pressure for fairer pricing will only increase.

That said, I do try also try to make use of my season ticket at weekends - it can be handy if I'm audaxing, for example.

I commute on southeastern and use their Key smartcard for tickets. It's a much better arrangement than buying paper tickets - not least because if by any chance you do lose it, you can cancel the card easily. The only slightly annoying thing is that after buying the ticket online, you have to tap in to the ticket machine at the station to 'load' the ticket onto your card. But it's easy enough to do this on your way into the station in the morning - as long as there isn't a queue.

[TPMB12]

Personally I'd prefer end to cheaper season tickets and just having cheaper day. Not everyone has money for season tickets up front. That means they pay more. Those with less pay more. Unless I'm missing something.

In my case I couldn't commit to train commuting  because I might need the car sometimes. Irregular work patterns or locations prevent season tickets. For me in the past car was cheaper and quicker.  Now it's not because of the vehicles we have and where we moved to.  Train makes more sense. However,  I still think season tickets were a barrier to me using the train. If I got the same  return price as season tickets on a daily ticket I'd have used it more. I didn't so resented that it was more exp for me because I couldn't commit to 5 days a week by train. For the cost of 1 day in 5 savings equivalent on each days return they lost maybe 3 journeys a week from me.

[ian]

In London, it's common for employers to offer season ticket loans (a zone 6 travelcard from bearish jungles of darkest Surrey is about £2.5k, season tickets to the great heathen beyonds and lands of savagery, far more, I know people who were paying £8k/year).

My wife use to have one, which I shared as I'd go to the office twice a week, and she would do the same, but on different days. I never figured out if that was legal, but no one ever asked, so ner.

I doubt I'll go back to the office other than for meetings, and my wife, who knows, I think they want her back for two days, so it won't be cost-effective unless they do figure out a part-time system. Travelcards in London are useful, since they also operate as railcards giving you a third-off other tickets in the area, which we made a lot of use of (though you can, I think, still by a SE network card to do the same).

[CommuteTooFar]

the year before I retired I had reasons not to commute all the way by bike (eg heavy cold). Most people on my train bought weekly tickets. Use it 4 days then is better than a set of returns or single. Not too great a loss if you misplace it. Monthly and Annual tickets  do not save much more. The Annual also get wasted when you are not using it. Christmas, Summer Holidays etc.

[fuaran]

Also check if there are any carnet tickets available. Depends on the route. That can give you something like 10 single tickets, to be used when you need them (within a month). Should be a bit cheaper than buying them on the day.

And most train companies have phone apps for tickets now, no need to carry another card.

[grams]

Annual seasons are the price of 40 weekly seasons, so you're going to have to have a lot of time off to match that.

In the glorious Southeast an annual gets you a Gold Card which is good for a third off most other (off-peak) tickets.

[citoyen]

The Annual also get wasted when you are not using it. Christmas, Summer Holidays etc.

For me, an annual season ticket costs the same as 11 monthly season tickets. If I plan my holidays well, I can get through the year on 11 monthly season tickets.

But that isn't always possible, so an annual season ticket still makes sense - although my company doesn't offer season ticket loans so I would have to put it on a credit card and probably end up paying the difference in interest.

A weekly season ticket for me costs not much more than two daily peak returns.

[citoyen]

Also check if there are any carnet tickets available. ... Should be a bit cheaper than buying them on the day.

But still not cheaper than a season ticket. This is something the traincos really need to address, because they rely on steady income from commuters and right now they're seemingly doing their best to price commuters out of travelling to work by train.

[grams]

But still not cheaper than a season ticket. This is something the traincos really need to address, because they rely on steady income from commuters and right now they're seemingly doing their best to price commuters out of travelling to work by train.

As of Covid Times, train companies don't need to sell any tickets because they're paid on a cost plus basis by the government to keep running trains. Any ticket revenue goes to the exchequer.

(this was effectively true before Covid, but they at least tried to pretend it wasn't)

[TPMB12]

On my route by converting all options for tickets to weekly cost I save 13% per week with a weekly up to 27% saving per week with a yearly ticket. Now that's based on my holidays and averaging them out equally across the year.  Reality is some weeks I'll do 5 days others I'll do none because I'm on holiday but averaging that over the year it's kind of a valid comparison.

Now why should 1 day,  week,  month or year cost less on commuter routes? Basically are the day return fares subsidising the annual season tickets? I do costings at work and we work to an honest margin we're happy with.  We then quote on a per set basis. We do offer small discounts for volume orders if we have to but only a 1 or 2% reduction. It seems to me that 27% is too much of a reduction even for volume units. Unless they've got figures showing most annual season ticket holders don't use them even 5 days a week except for holidays. Possibly true but isn't it likely there similar for weekly and monthly tickets?

IMHO there should be flat rates for each journey especial since there all subsidised anyway. Make day returns cheaper without bulk savings. If you need to use the train you're going to use it whether there's a saving for bulk or not. Just average it out as a cheaper day rate then allow people to easily book as many journeys as they want easily at that flat rate.