Merseyside Day Saver

[Bletchleyite]

The concession agreement between Merseytravel PTE and the operator, Serco/Abellio Merseyrail, should have been tighter so as to prevent such shenanigans on the part of the operator.

Agreed. The Merseytravel area used to be an island of German style common sense - even MTL didn't bother with their own seasons or day tickets.

 

[geoffk]

p


Not quite all stations on Merseyside have ticket offices. Meols Cop, Rainford, Upton, and Heswall don't. Northern / ATW guards on trains calling at these stations will need to be able to sell Saveaways.

Yes that's correct of course, so guards must sell them. My reply from Merseytravel just now stated that saveaways can only be bought from stations in Merseyside. As for Saveaway v Daysaver, there's no contest but you have to know what you're asking for, especially in view of the similarity of the ticket names. This shouldn't have been allowed to happen.

 

[lyndhurst25]

The concession agreement between Merseytravel PTE and the operator, Serco/Abellio Merseyrail, should have been tighter so as to prevent such shenanigans on the part of the operator.

Merseyrail have been up to all sorts of shenanigans. Off the top of my head:
- the only ToC that doesn't have facilities to collect tickets bought online at any of its stations, even though they are all manned throughout the day.
- getting rid of all off-peak fares and replacing them with the Daysaver. This ticket is cynically priced at 10p less than Merseytravel's far superior Saveaway, which allows travel on all TOCs, buses and ferries. They've even got the cheek to price the Daysaver using Merseytravel's zone system. There aren't any railcard discounts on the Daysaver - railcard holders are often better buying an off-peak ticket to somewhere just off the MerseyRail network so that they can use their discount.
- ticket office staff almost pressure selling the Daysaver over the Saveaway. I have specifically asked for a Saveaway at Merseyrail station and they have tried to persuade me that what I actually wanted was a Daysaver. "Area C Saveaway please", "Where you going?", "Liverpool Central", "You want a Daysaver", "Can I use that on the buses as well then?", "Oh...no".
- this latest "we can only sell Saveaways on Walrus" thing. If true, then Merseyside residents have to pay the £1 Walrus tax and can't buy more than a day in advance.


If Merseytravel are indeed trying to stop the sale of Saveaways outside Merseyside then that needs to be resisted. Have they thought that visitors to, rather than residents of, Merseyside would want to use the ticket? The cynic in me thinks that they may have been leant on by TPE who don't like people using Saveaways for 14.2 splits.

 

[K.o.R]

On the subject of the Walrus card, has anyone tried to use another type of ITSO card for it (bus pass, other TOC card, etc.)?

Also another confirm on Chester selling a paper ticket version; I was very concerned I would have to get another smart card to use it on our recent trip there.

 

[Ianigsy]

I tend to find when I'm visiting my family in Birkenhead that the Day Saver is offered instead of a point to point return for journeys to places like West Kirby because it's usually cheaper. My suspicion is that it's a step in the direction of zonal flat fares so that a return between any two points will become a Day Saver by default.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I tend to find when I'm visiting my family in Birkenhead that the Day Saver is offered instead of a point to point return for journeys to places like West Kirby because it's usually cheaper. My suspicion is that it's a step in the direction of zonal flat fares so that a return between any two points will become a Day Saver by default.

It sort of is. TBH my main objection to it - even though I don't have one - is that it removes Railcard discounts. If these applied as standard, I'd probably support the idea - though I'd prefer it to be multimodal and zonal than single-mode.

 

[geoffk]

If Merseytravel are indeed trying to stop the sale of Saveaways outside Merseyside then that needs to be resisted. Have they thought that visitors to, rather than residents of, Merseyside would want to use the ticket? The cynic in me thinks that they may have been leant on by TPE who don't like people using Saveaways for 14.2 splits.

By 14.2 splits, I assume you're referring to National Rail Conditions of Travel, clause 14.2 about using a combination of tickets. For a Manchester - Liverpool journey then, you can buy a Mcr - Newton ticket plus a Saveaway, even if the train doesn't stop at Newton (although TPE now stops there once an hour anyway).

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

By 14.2 splits, I assume you're referring to National Rail Conditions of Travel, clause 14.2 about using a combination of tickets. For a Manchester - Liverpool journey then, you can buy a Mcr - Newton ticket plus a Saveaway, even if the train doesn't stop at Newton (although TPE now stops there once an hour anyway).

Exactly - but TPE might not like that, because it's reducing their revenue (given the extensive validity of SaveAways on Merseyrail services they will presumably get very little from a SaveAway) and they are very worried about meeting their "onerous contract".

 

[JBuchananGB]

- getting rid of all off-peak fares and replacing them with the Daysaver. This ticket is cynically priced at 10p less than Merseytravel's far superior Saveaway, which allows travel on all TOCs, buses and ferries. They've even got the cheek to price the Daysaver using Merseytravel's zone system. There aren't any railcard discounts on the Daysaver - railcard holders are often better buying an off-peak ticket to somewhere just off the MerseyRail network so that they can use their discount.
.

PMFJI, but as I am about to relocate to Southport I am interested in this topic.
I looked up off-peak return fares with senior railcard Liverpool to Southport, and found Anytime Return £4.50. A Daysaver £5.20. But an Off-Peak Day Return Liverpool to Meols Cop £3.45.

Would the Merseyrail ticket office at Southport sell a ticket Meols Cop to Liverpool, so I could save a few pence on a return to Liverpool?

 

[lyndhurst25]

Southport ticket office shouldn't have any objections to selling you a Meols Cop to Liverpool return. After all, it could be that you are wanting to travel to Meols Cop on your return journey.

A Southport to Edge Hill Off-Peak Day Return ticket would also be the same price and you certainly wouldn't get any questions buying that at Southport.

 

[JBuchananGB]

Now I am aware of this scam, I realise that I fell for it on the only occasion when I have bought tickets from Liverpool to Southport, on 11 September last year when my wife and I asked for 2 day returns with senior railcard, and I was sold 2 anytime returns marked 2TOG for £8.70. Did mention the incorrect discount in this forum at the time. I won't fall for that again. I wondered at the time why I had anytime returns in the middle of the day.

 

[geoffk]

On the subject of the Walrus card, has anyone tried to use another type of ITSO card for it (bus pass, other TOC card, etc.)?

Also another confirm on Chester selling a paper ticket version; I was very concerned I would have to get another smart card to use it on our recent trip there.

I'm now told that Saveaways currently can be purchased at any station. At Merseyrail Electric stations these have to go on to Walrus cards but at all other stations these are currently on paper stock. This will change in the future as Merseytravel are gradually putting all their products on to Walrus cards and when that happens it is likely the Saveaway will then only be available within Merseyside.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm now told that Saveaways currently can be purchased at any station. At Merseyrail Electric stations these have to go on to Walrus cards but at all other stations these are currently on paper stock. This will change in the future as Merseytravel are gradually putting all their products on to Walrus cards and when that happens it is likely the Saveaway will then only be available within Merseyside.

Which to be fair is only going back to the days of it being a scratch card which had to be held in physical stock, I suppose...

 

[lyndhurst25]

Which to be fair is only going back to the days of it being a scratch card which had to be held in physical stock, I suppose...

Except that you could buy a scratchcard months or years in advance and validate it yourself. Saveaway on Walrus is currently only available on the day of purchase or one day in advance.

 

[class17]

I have been reading this thread with interest. I have been visiting a friend in the Royal (walking distance to Lime Street) or his home (a bus ride away).

I have used various tickets as I have a couple of options from Northern stations. I have used a return to Lime Street or Central, or to Edge Hill if I don't mind the walk, as well as a return to the boundary and a Saveaway on a Walrus card for bus journeys.

But on my last journey, I used a return to Liverpool with a PlusBus with railcard reductions.

Thanks for the information and making things clearer.