What's the point of rail season tickets?

Energize

Energize

Energize

Caporegime
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They appear to offer no savings what so ever.

So I have been working out commute costs for a journey. Now for reference an anytime day return for this journey is £6.90 so if you multiply that by an average of 21.75 work days in a month you break even by buying a month ticket. But when you take annual leave into account you only have at most an average of 19.42 working days per month which means that it would only cost you £133.98 to buy return tickets!

The only marginal advantage is that you can you travel on any operator, which for such a busy station as Preston hardly matters.

And wtf at 3 and 6 month tickets costing exactly the same as 1 month tickets, why on this earth would anyone pay £900 upfront for no extra saving? :confused:

Lancaster (LAN) to Preston (Lancs) (PRE)
Available Standard Class Adult Season Tickets (Travel is allowed via any permitted route.)

7 Days £39.00
1 Month £149.80
3 Months £449.30
6 Months £898.60
12 Months £1,560.00

It seems like you would save £47.70 a year at most by buying a 12 month ticket instead of buying returns. I mean really what is the point?
 
When I used to commute on the train I would buy only weekly tickets. The reason is exactly as you worked out, the only advantage for me is convenience that I save having to queue up every Monday morning to get my week's pass.

Also, I like to take my annual leave in short notice, so getting a month's pass would mean I would waste a month's ticket cost. I worked out it is better off weekly so when I am not taking the train that week i simply don't buy the ticket. Worked out almost the same.
 
Are you sure the anytime day return is including peak time?

When I used to pay to commute to Cardiff daily, I'd get the 5 to 6 train and the 16:41 train home. Because of this, I would have to pay £7 ish for a return 5 days a week. However, my monthly fare was roughly £90, saving me quite a bit of money. Plus it meant no additional cost to travel in if I wanted to go in at the weekend.
 
Wouldn't want to pay over a grand for a 12 month ticket. Might not live long enough to get the benefit out of it.

I'd rather just pay monthly than have over a K tied up in a ticket. Cash flow is king unless it was half price or something.
 
Moses said:
Well a 12 month one saves you 3%. Then presumably you might want to travel on days off/weekends/etc. Then employers sometimes give a loan to cover the amount. Then other times there’s a bigger discount - maybe the routes you’re looking at are a quirk. Then if by travelling by any operator saves you a minute a day because you can just go for the train leaving soonest, that adds up. Etc.
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True there is a 3% saving, but you're taking a big risk for that saving in so far as you could lose your job next month or lose the pass some way. You could earn that 3% risk free by putting that money in a savings account.

The way I see it is, small saving and a slight convenience for a big outlay and significant risk. It's a poor deal unless you do other regular travelling down that route.

It's an even worse deal if you have more than 28 days annual leave, I have 33 and it's not uncommon to see that now in a lot of digital agency type places.

MrRockliffe said:
Are you sure the anytime day return is including peak time?

When I used to pay to commute to Cardiff daily, I'd get the 5 to 6 train and the 16:41 train home. Because of this, I would have to pay £7 ish for a return 5 days a week. However, my monthly fare was roughly £90, saving me quite a bit of money. Plus it meant no additional cost to travel in if I wanted to go in at the weekend.
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Yeah it's an anytime ticket, not off-peak anytime, but only valid on transpennine.

dholdi said:
£50 in your pocket instead of someone else's ?
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Looking further into the maths the saving is actually smaller than that if you time your annual leave right and buy monthly/weekly passes, and virtually zero saving if you put that lump sum in a savings account.

LeeUK said:
Wouldn't want to pay over a grand for a 12 month ticket. Might not live long enough to get the benefit out of it.

I'd rather just pay monthly than have over a K tied up in a ticket. Cash flow is king unless it was half price or something.
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This is my line of thinking, however more along the lines of "might not have the job long enough", rather than not live long enough. :p
 
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I think it's your journey.

I just tried the same exercise as you but between Nuneaton and Birmingham Central and the potential saving for having an annual season ticket was almost £700.
 
bremen1874 said:
I think it's your journey.

I just tried the same exercise as you but between Nuneaton and Birmingham Central and the potential saving for having an annual season ticket was almost £700.
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What was the difference between the cost of the 1, 3 and 6 month passes?

What % does £700 represent on that journey?
 
An anytime day return = £11.10.

1 month pass = £47.30
6 month pass = £181.70
12 month pass = £1,892.00

£11.10 @ 19.42 working days/month (your figure) = £2,587/year.

Given the time of day and drinks drunk there's a potential margin of error to allow for.
 
bremen1874 said:
An anytime day return = £11.10.

1 month pass = £47.30
6 month pass = £181.70
12 month pass = £1,892.00

£11.10 @ 19.42 working days/month (your figure) = £2,587/year.

Given the time of day and drinks drunk there's a potential margin of error to allow for.
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Who in the right mind would get the 12 month pass when the 6 month pass x 2 comes to £363.40 ?

Do you mean 1 week is £47.3 and 1 month is £181.70?
 
bremen1874 said:
An anytime day return = £11.10.

1 month pass = £47.30
6 month pass = £181.70
12 month pass = £1,892.00

£11.10 @ 19.42 working days/month (your figure) = £2,587/year.

Given the time of day and drinks drunk there's a potential margin of error to allow for.
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I've taken a look at that same journey myself and have noticed that the 3 month and 6 month tickets give no savings whatsoever over the 1 month tickets, exactly the same situation I have with my journey. Makes no sense.

Essentially the only real options on offer are 1 month or 1 year.
 
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When I was looking 3 and 6 month tickets weren't offered (only weekly, monthly, and annual).

If that's what you want you're just buying multiple 1 month tickets which will be pointless.
 
bremen1874 said:
When I was looking 3 and 6 month tickets weren't offered (only weekly, monthly, and annual).

If that's what you want you're just buying multiple 1 month tickets which will be pointless.
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Oh right the virgin site gives 3 and 6 month durations which might explain that then.

However 12 x 1 month passes = £2180.40 so a 13.2% saving for an annual ticket over the monthly ones, but if you book annual leave in 1 or 2 week blocks and buy 10 x 1 month passes + 3 x 1 week passes instead you're looking at £1959.90 which is only a 3.46% saving over the monthly ones.

Moses said:
Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley. Day return = £24.70. Weekly = £92.40. Monthly = £354.90. Annual = £3696.00
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Again a 3.4% saving over buying 10x1 month and 3x1 week, it's mediocre.
 
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Wasn't your original complaint that buying season tickets of any duration wasn't saving anything worthwhile compared to buying daily returns?

On my suggested similar journey monthly or annual season tickets do make a significant saving. On your journey this doesn't appear to be the case.

The difference between an annual ticket and your 10 months + 3 weeks option is a different issue.
 
in switzerland they do a halftax card that lasts a whole year, costs like 160 francs.
it also works on buses but only about 30% saving for those.

still make the price of the card back really fast though like a few days or weeks.

UK public transport sucks
 
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