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Life after a Railcard ?

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NorthernSpirit

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I've already planned to get a vehicle once my very last railcard expires (October 2016), after that the next one will be once I hit 70 (as the 60+ limit will be upped to align with the raised pension age) for the Senior Railcard.
 
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Zoe

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I've already planned to get a vehicle once my very last railcard expires (October 2016), after that the next one will be once I hit 70 (as the 60+ limit will be upped to align with the raised pension age) for the Senior Railcard.
Do we know this for sure? They haven't started to raise the current age for a senior railcard even though the retirement age is no longer 60 for men or women. The age for a bus pass has however been increasing in line with the increase in the retirement age for women.
 
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Butts

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Given that you are spending a fair amount of time in London I'm surprised that you have considered moving down here. It would surely make commuting to work a lot easier? Just saying :)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Assuming that you are able to drive, have you considered buying a car? I've bought my children a 1.3 Corsa Diesel to be used as a 'pool' car. It only costs £30 to tax it for a year and the fuel economy is fantastic.

Other than that Standard Class travel isn't so bad, even more so if you manage to get a seat in the 'quiet coach'. Other than that it's just a case of cutting your cloth to suit your means. In the grand scheme of things it's hardly a major disaster!

I already have a car, but the problem is no one comes around with free food and alcohol :p

I can't agree with you about standard class on longer journeys, it's like once you have "turned left" on an Aircraft you never want to return to cattle class.
 

junglejames

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I already have a car, but the problem is no one comes around with free food and alcohol :p

I can't agree with you about standard class on longer journeys, it's like once you have "turned left" on an Aircraft you never want to return to cattle class.

I'll agree with you there. OK standard isnt bad on EC, but once youve been first class, its very very difficult to go back. Standard is nice, but first is so much more spacious and comfortable, and the base of the seats dont feel as if they are tilting forward either!
If you look from the outside, it doesnt seem too different, but once youve travelled first, you realise there is.

As for Virgin. Well, you dont need to travel first to be put off of standard. One trip in standard is enough in itself to put you off standard. I would never suggest anyone goes standard class with Virgin or XC.
Someone I know once went all the way from Bournemouth to Glasgow in standard (on a voyager). Just the thought of it was enough to scare me.
 

Techniquest

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Oh come on, Standard on Virgin and XC is not THAT bad. Yes it can often be bad but I've had plenty of decent journeys on 390s and a decent handful of good ones on XC too.

Admittedly it is weird going from First to Standard if you've used First for a fair bit, but you'll adjust. If I ever do actually do a First Class ALR (it's on the cards, will probably be on them for as long as the USA trip, that's been waiting for 6 years now!), then I'll definitely find it strange going back to Standard afterwards!
 

Deerfold

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Given that you are spending a fair amount of time in London I'm surprised that you have considered moving down here. It would surely make commuting to work a lot easier? Just saying :)

I'm usually in London 3 nights a week - I only get the overnight coach a couple of times a year.

I did 6 years of commuting from the home counties before returning to Yorkshire - now I just need to get a decent job up here.

The wife's based in Yorkshire and she earns more than me, so we won't be rushing south again any time soon.
 

trainophile

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Oh come on, Standard on Virgin and XC is not THAT bad. Yes it can often be bad but I've had plenty of decent journeys on 390s and a decent handful of good ones on XC too.

Admittedly it is weird going from First to Standard if you've used First for a fair bit, but you'll adjust. If I ever do actually do a First Class ALR (it's on the cards, will probably be on them for as long as the USA trip, that's been waiting for 6 years now!), then I'll definitely find it strange going back to Standard afterwards!

I can quite understand the OP's point of view. Although a fairly recent newbie to First Class, and unable to become a regular as there aren't many services offering it out of my home town, Standard is fine(ish) for getting from A to B, but if you get your enjoyment out of the journey itself you can't compare the experience.

I've spent part of this evening searching online for a possible day out within realistic travelling distance, that we can do using First Class, at least in one direction. The point is, we don't care where we go, as the destination is secondary to the pleasure of the journey. (We looked at York, where we would have had a whole three hours before coming back, but after discussion decided we'll leave it 'til Spring and make it an overnighter so we can take in the rail museum. Guided tour yorkie? :lol:).

I noticed last week on a Virgin Pendolino that the seats in Standard are far too upright for comfort. I had a backache within ten minutes, and was wishing I'd got my travel pillow with me for lumbar support. Had to fold my coat and shove it down behind me, which helped a bit. Never get that problem in First.
 

richw

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BTW, I know if you're a full-time student you can still get one; does that extend to PhD students? As I may well be one at that point.

Full Time student means 15 hours a week for 20 weeks a year according to the railcard website.

I am a part time student (OU degree), and with my NUS card I get 10% off XC and Grand Central advance tickets.

I also live in Cornwall so have a Cornwall/Devon railcard so can enjoy travelling to all the corners of Devon and Cornwall cheap despite being old

Alternatively have a child and take them everywhere with you on a F+F railcard.
 
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Hadders

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The prospect of using a coach for a long distance journey fills me with dread. Even a voyager is more civilized than a coach!

If the Network Railcard minimum fare is a significant issue for regular travellers in the Network Area then you could always buy a Ryde St Johns Road-Ryde Esplanade annual season ticket for £156. This is issued as a Gold Card so has no minimum fare and I believe the discount can also be loaded onto a PAYG Oyster Card.
 

johnnychips

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You need to travel a lot to make a saving with this technique.

And... 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'

But... I would think a rail journey would have a lot more positive distractions for a kid than a coach or even a car. Parents can put me right on this.
 

harz99

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My Railcard has just expired and I am not eligible for a replacement.

For the last few years I have enjoyed many trips on East Coast Advanced First Tickets and those of other operators, which has enabled me to visit many parts of the UK in some style.

How have other members coped with the loss of discounted travel ? If I bought a ticket at the normal price without R/C reduction I would be thinking all the time this used to be a third cheaper.

Is this problem easy to overcome from a psychological point of view ?

Maybe bargain berths on the Anglo Scottish sleepers and a ranger/rover ticket or two might help, but obviously would need some planning ahead.
 

MK Tom

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Seeing somebody genuinely debate the economics of having a child for the purpose of reducing rail fares is one of the funniest things I've seen on the internet in a while.
 

richw

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Seeing somebody genuinely debate the economics of having a child for the purpose of reducing rail fares is one of the funniest things I've seen on the internet in a while.

My comment was meant tongue in cheek, (I didn't expect to need to explain that) based on many reports you see of people popping out babies for benefits, which suggests that your better off with lots of kids if your on a low income, suggesting a child doesn't cost loads of money. Obviously nobody is going to have a baby to get a rail discount. :roll:
 

junglejames

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Oh come on, Standard on Virgin and XC is not THAT bad. Yes it can often be bad but I've had plenty of decent journeys on 390s and a decent handful of good ones on XC too.

Even a 'not that bad' journey is a bad journey in comparison. No thanks. Not with those seats, the overall interior of the bendy pendy, and the engine and associated noise of the voyager.

I'll leave that to those that can stand it. Leaves more room for them.
 

edwin_m

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I don't fully agree with this statement, child benefit and child tax credits for anyone on less than 32k a year more than cover the cost of having the child.

Maybe the cost of having the child, but perhaps not the cost of bringing it up? Estimated recently to be around £10k per year if I recall.

Anyway you might find your child doesn't share your interest in travelling by trian.
 

richw

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Maybe the cost of having the child, but perhaps not the cost of bringing it up? Estimated recently to be around £10k per year if I recall.

Anyway you might find your child doesn't share your interest in travelling by trian.

Refer to post 77, I've already explained my comment was in tongue in cheek......

I'd have a guess the majority of the £10k per year is rubbish, I'd love to see how they come to this figure, as I guess my eldest child costs me around £1000-1500 per year, the younger one less as she has her big sisters old toys and clothes passed down:
an extra bedroom costs around £100 pcm in rent (in my area),
my children eat the same as me and my wife so costs are marginal for feeding them,
I needed to buy a bigger car, but my old car was up for renewal anyway so I would have had this expense anyway,
Can clothe them for £200-£300 per size by shopping in the likes of Primark and supermarkets.
Toys and books max £500 per year.
Nappies £50 a month if applicable.

I earn too much for tax credits etc myself, but a family with 2 children on 20k annual income, will get approx. £564 every 4 weeks in tax credits/ child benefit under the 2013/14 benefits policies.

Back to the OP, there are various ways to save the money on rail travel still, just speak to RJ! I have experiences massive savings myself through splitting, my most recent example being a Redruth - Gatwick - Redruth return which saved me 75% by Splitting once. I left Gatwick at peak time, I split my ticket at the station where an off peak became valid and it reduced my cost from around £200 down to around £50
 
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Techniquest

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Even a 'not that bad' journey is a bad journey in comparison. No thanks. Not with those seats, the overall interior of the bendy pendy, and the engine and associated noise of the voyager.

I'll leave that to those that can stand it. Leaves more room for them.

I would agree that First Class is far superior on both Voyagers and Pendolinos to Standard Class on them, but I can still manage to travel in Standard. The way to avoid the noise of Voyagers whilst on them is to put in some earphones and play your preferred music. Job done!

Mind you, having not heard a DMU in ages I'd be glad to hear a Voyager right now!
 

34D

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Give me a later train out of Leeds than 2045 towards London (so 2000 from Keighley) or trains into Leeds that would let me get to London before 0851 then I'd catch them.

I'm sure people can explain why these don't exist but the coach works for me on occasion.

Depart Leeds 21:42 and change York. Connection from Keighley being 21:00.

That last up train was introduced with the clockface timetable as I recall, and I used to use it quite a bit when I lived in the home counties myself but was up seeing friends/family in Yorks. Happily I have now returned though.
 

Deerfold

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Depart Leeds 21:42 and change York. Connection from Keighley being 21:00.

That last up train was introduced with the clockface timetable as I recall, and I used to use it quite a bit when I lived in the home counties myself but was up seeing friends/family in Yorks. Happily I have now returned though.

As it's usually a Monday when I have to be down early I should have used a last train leaving Keighley on a Sunday of 1949 really (or 1928 if you don't fancy the 6 minute connection at Shipley)...
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Anyway you might find your child doesn't share your interest in travelling by trian.

The Manchester Rail Travel Club (1980-1984) saw our family travelling to destinations all over England, Wales and Scotland at very little cost which led my sons to believe that railways were a gift from the Almighty and something to look forward to....:D

Not many "mystery trains" run from Manchester to Largs these days, I'll be bound.
 
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harz99

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The Manchester Rail Travel Club (1980-1984) saw our family travelling to destinations all over England, Wales and Scotland at very little cost which led my sons to believe that railways were a gift from the Almighty and something to look forward to....:D

Not many "mystery trains" run from Manchester to Largs these days, I'll be bound.

Reminds me of using the Merrymaker trains on Western Region before I worked for the railway - bargains of the day. Or the Southern Region half day returns to the south coast.:D
 

Drsatan

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I wonder how many people are now planning on kidnapping a child to get cheaper rail fares? ;)

I can imagine the headline of the Daily Mail should this happen:

"HORROR AS BASHER KIDNAPS KID FOR CHEAP TRAIN TRAVEL", followed by an editorial advocating that railway enthusiasts be barred from adopting children.

Hopefully it won't happen.
 
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