Never used my railcard!

[neilmc]

My Senior Railcard just ran out, completely unused since I bought it a year ago! Thing is, I bought it with £10 of Tesco Clubcard vouchers which I find I don't want to use for much else anyway, and I'd rather have a railcard sitting in my wallet just in case I suddenly want or need to take a train anywhere.

In reality, that's seldom since I live over 12 miles from a station with no connecting bus so by the time I've driven or been given a lift to a railway station and maybe paid for (extortionate) parking I might just have driven the full distance anyway and saved time and money, and if my wife accompanies me the train's a no-brainer. Not very green I know but that's the reality for, I suspect, millions of people. If I had needed to go to London, Manchester or Glasgow by myself the train might have been an option but I didn't. Maybe next year? Or if Shap station reopens ...

 

[Chris999999]

My Senior Railcard just ran out, completely unused since I bought it a year ago! Thing is, I bought it with £10 of Tesco Clubcard vouchers which I find I don't want to use for much else anyway, and I'd rather have a railcard sitting in my wallet just in case I suddenly want or need to take a train anywhere.

In reality, that's seldom since I live over 12 miles from a station with no connecting bus so by the time I've driven or been given a lift to a railway station and maybe paid for (extortionate) parking I might just have driven the full distance anyway and saved time and money, and if my wife accompanies me the train's a no-brainer. Not very green I know but that's the reality for, I suspect, millions of people. If I had needed to go to London, Manchester or Glasgow by myself the train might have been an option but I didn't. Maybe next year? Or if Shap station reopens ...

Well you did get a bargain as a one year senior railcard usually costs £30. It is only a benefit however if you buy tickets using it to the value of at least 3 times the price you paid.

You can of course buy a Senior Railcard at a manned station at the time you buy the ticket, though at the cost of £30. If you can buy another one for £10 then you need to decide whether you are likely to use it or not, and how far you are likely to travel.

Life is full of decisions.

 

[BlueFox]

If you need a railcard quickly and have a smartphone you can buy one online and use the railcard app.

I bought a two together railcard with a Tesco clubcard voucher a couple of weeks ago. The railcard voucher arrived within minutes, and it took a few more minutes to order the railcard and add it to the app.

 

[neilmc]

Thanks, BlueFox, that's certainly an option. However I like having solid paper + plastic and would never consider using my phone for holding any travel information I might need for a journey. I have ordered another senior railcard for the next 12 months.

 

[PeterC]

I very seldom use NR services these days but the OP prompted me to have a look at my last 8 week's tube travel. I had never thought a senior railcard worth while but having done the sums I might just save a enough for a pint or two over the year.

 

[ChrisC]

I very seldom use NR services these days but the OP prompted me to have a look at my last 8 week's tube travel. I had never thought a senior railcard worth while but having done the sums I might just save a enough for a pint or two over the year.

I use my Senior Railcard at least once a month, often on quite long distance journeys, and so therefore save quite a bit. During these last 2 years of having one I have found it brings otherwise quite expensive fares down to reasonably acceptable levels. Apart from when I want to travel 1st Class from Nottingham to London, I now rarely use Advance tickets and I am really enjoying being able to afford more flexible, usually off peak walk up fares.
I’ve never bothered linking my railcard to my Oyster card until recently and I was amazed at how much I saved on off peak journeys around London during a 5 day stay last week.

 

[Mikey C]

My Senior Railcard just ran out, completely unused since I bought it a year ago! Thing is, I bought it with £10 of Tesco Clubcard vouchers which I find I don't want to use for much else anyway, and I'd rather have a railcard sitting in my wallet just in case I suddenly want or need to take a train anywhere.

In reality, that's seldom since I live over 12 miles from a station with no connecting bus so by the time I've driven or been given a lift to a railway station and maybe paid for (extortionate) parking I might just have driven the full distance anyway and saved time and money, and if my wife accompanies me the train's a no-brainer. Not very green I know but that's the reality for, I suspect, millions of people. If I had needed to go to London, Manchester or Glasgow by myself the train might have been an option but I didn't. Maybe next year? Or if Shap station reopens ...

Not quite sure what your point is. Your personal circumstances mean that you hardly ever use the railway, thus it makes no sense for you to buy a railcard. Similarly, if someone hardly ever visits historic buildings and locations, it makes no sense buying National Trust membership!

 

[AlterEgo]

Not quite sure what your point is. Your personal circumstances mean that you hardly ever use the railway, thus it makes no sense for you to buy a railcard. Similarly, if someone hardly ever visits historic buildings and locations, it makes no sense buying National Trust membership!

Yes, not sure what the headline is here. Like nearly half of people in this country, the OP took no rail journeys on the NR network last year.

 

[AM9]

Yes, not sure what the headline is here. Like nearly half of people in this country, the OP took no rail journeys on the NR network last year.

It would also seem that the OP doesn't travel far anyway. Although there are plenty of places at similar distance from the nearest station, most of them would be rural so the total population affected is unlikely to run into 'millions', which to my mind infers 5+ million.

 

[Harold Hill]

Just renewed mine, £70 for 3 years. It's a treasure. Doing a bash from Temple Meads later this week up to the Big Town and around some London Overgrounds. First leg: Temple Meads to Clapham Junction First Class £19.20. Back from Paddington later, again First Class £35.95. Railcards Forever!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just renewed mine, £70 for 3 years. It's a treasure. Doing a bash from Temple Meads later this week up to the Big Town and around some London Overgrounds. First leg: Temple Meads to Clapham Junction First Class £19.20. Back from Paddington later, again First Class £35.95. Railcards Forever!

Indeed the 3-year Senior Citizen Railcard available only online is well worth its value and we currently are on our fourth such railcard. We visit both York and Durham quite regularly and make our annual visit to Cleethorpes, all on TPE services and those journeys alone mean we make a considerable annual saving.