Season ticket increase

[Gonks]

I buy season tickets from Peterborough to Cambridge - being in education I buy these half termly e.g 5/6 week length tickets.

I note that a six week ticket has increased by about £50 since I bought my last one in January.

I was under the impression that regulated fares were frozen, or does this not count as regulated for some reason?

Thank you

 

[Vexed]

I can't see any recent changes on brfares.com since March 2025, it's been £640.20 for 1 month + 14 days since then. Or £610.70 if you go for 1 month + 12 days if you book from a Monday to a Friday.

Regulated fares are confusing, but most fares (not just regulated ones) are frozen.

For Cambridge to Peterborough and vice versa, from an old FOI request (which might be out of date), the regulated fares are quite comprehensive with 2BAF, 2BFP, and 2MQA covered though each direction is different for some reason. However currently the fares are equal in both directions.

2BAF - Anytime Day Return
2BFP - Off Peak Day Return
2MQA - Weekly Season

As all other season lenghts are calculated from the weekly season this means that all seasons are regulated.

 

[MikeWh]

Can you confirm the start and end dates of the two seasons. I wonder if you're being hit by February only having 28 days.

 

[GilfachFargoed]

Checking brfares.com I am not seeing any increase. The Weekly Season (from which the longer period seasons are calculated on this flow) has remained at £113.50 since March last year.

A season for 5/6 weeks would be around £570, dependent on the exact duration of the ticket and the number of days in the months at that time of year. £50 is thus only a fluctuation of 10% or so and hence could easily be accounted for by two tickets of slightly varying duration, and where a month with 28 days and another with 30 or 31 is involved - the season ticket factors (multiples of the weekly for longer duration pricing) being based on the number of whole months and number of additional days.

 

[Gonks]

I think I have figured it out thanks to your help.

I did not realise it was based on a whole month plus additional days rather I assumed it was based on the number of weeks/days in total.

My previous ticket was 5 Jan to 13 Feb and was £567.50 , the next one is 23 Feb to 3 April and £610.

Kind of ridiculous when they are effectively exactly the same duration

Both 40 days. But the latter is 3 days more if you do it in whole months plus additional days.

 

[GilfachFargoed]

I think I have figured it out thanks to your help.

I did not realise it was based on a whole month plus additional days rather I assumed it was based on the number of weeks/days in total.

My previous ticket was 5 Jan to 13 Feb and was £567.50 , the next one is 23 Feb to 3 April and £610.

Kind of ridiculous when they are effectively exactly the same duration

Both 40 days. But the latter is 3 days more if you do it in whole months plus additional days.

I agree that it is inconsistent. This formula dates back well into BR days. Whether it was dictated by the functionality of the 1980s APTIS ticket issuing system or some other factor I am unsure - the world before APTIS and the development of it is 'before my time' in technical knowledge.

 

[MikeWh]

Is it possible to get that ticket refunded? A weekly ticket for the last week of Feb plus a monthly+2days for 2nd March to 3rd April would cost £578.90.

 

[Gonks]

Is it possible to get that ticket refunded? A weekly ticket for the last week of Feb plus a monthly+2days for 2nd March to 3rd April would cost £578.90.

Thanks I haven’t actually paid for it yet so will look into alternative

 

[The exile]

I think I have figured it out thanks to your help.

I did not realise it was based on a whole month plus additional days rather I assumed it was based on the number of weeks/days in total.

My previous ticket was 5 Jan to 13 Feb and was £567.50 , the next one is 23 Feb to 3 April and £610.

Kind of ridiculous when they are effectively exactly the same duration

Both 40 days. But the latter is 3 days more if you do it in whole months plus additional days.

No different to buying monthly tickets. The one bought in February is always the worst value for money as 3 years out of 4 you only get 28 days' travel for the same cost as you get 31 on the one you buy in March.

 

[Andrew1395]

For people who only use a monthly season Monday to Friday to travel to work they will (this year) get 4 weeks of travel in February. In March it will be 4 weeks and two days.

On the other hand if they are paid monthly they will get the same salary regardless of the number of working days in the month.

Spread over three months it is marginal to the majority.