Flexi Rail Ticket - Will you be returning?

Ali195

Ali195

Ali195

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End of the month the flexi rail season tickets begin. For people like my self it normally costs £4028 (if I was to purchase today) for traditional season ticket to London vs the new £3477 with limit on 8 days of travel in 28 days. Although maybe my math is bad but seems this is only good if you work 2 days per week, no good for 3.

Prior to this I had already explained to my company working that 3 days via weekly ticket costs more than 1 year season ticket, no saving to be had but 2 days I'd be better off.

Many of my European co-workers said these had been available for years in their home countries so it's about time this came about.

Will this tempt you back sooner now the potential savings are to be had?
 
Needs to be sub £2800 for it to make any sense for me @ 2 days a week. Good to see a change happen here though. It would be tragic if the effects of COVID were undone and folk felt compelled to do 5 days just to get "value" out of their train ticket.

Bouton Aide said:
How much!!! That’s ridicules prices!
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This is how the other half live. And what's more, the ticket is the same crappy piece of paper you get whether you spend £8k (Birm -> London) or £2.50 :p

Edit: This also goes someway to justify house prices on decent commuter belts. Op is paying £4k per year; let's say he has to do that "forever"/30 years working life - that's £120k top-up to live nearer, get time back, and pay less to national rail. I'm ignoring inflation here too.
 
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Railway prices are ridiculous. Looked at going to Wimbledon next month, and it's £140 per person?!?!?!?!?!? I can drive, park there, and drive back for around £50, so a saving of £230. Why take the train?
 
M1k3H said:
Railway prices are ridiculous. Looked at going to Wimbledon next month, and it's £140 per person?!?!?!?!?!? I can drive, park there, and drive back for around £50, so a saving of £230. Why take the train?
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It can often be more economical to drive if you are unable to "game the system" and find the right tickets. It is very often more economical to drive if there is more than 1 of you.

Going to Wimbledon? I'd get the train. No way I'm faffing with designated drivers and what not. The journey is half the fun :p

At £140 you've presumably ticked open return? Or live a mission away.
 
M1k3H said:
Railway prices are ridiculous. Looked at going to Wimbledon next month, and it's £140 per person?!?!?!?!?!? I can drive, park there, and drive back for around £50, so a saving of £230. Why take the train?
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+ tyres, + servicing, +repairs. I'd imagine most people probably break even when you include all the bills, but I agree it's insane it should be cheaper overall to use public transport than to own a car and drive it. The big advantage is there is less chance of getting stuck in traffic, which is probably caused by the expensive public transport costs...
 
M1k3H said:
Railway prices are ridiculous. Looked at going to Wimbledon next month, and it's £140 per person?!?!?!?!?!? I can drive, park there, and drive back for around £50, so a saving of £230. Why take the train?
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This, Had to go to a family funeral in cornwall earlier in the year from the North East. 4 of us. Train tickets would have cost over £1000. Not quite two fill ups with fuel got us there and back so saving £900/.
 
When
wesley said:
£4028 yearly , is that for full week ? if so then £3477 yearly for 8 days over 28 days is very poor value. unless i am missing something
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Yep for full year unlimited travel between the designated stations. These are the figures given by National Rail season ticket calculator. And best I can tell it's only good if doing 2 days per week not 3.
 
Ali195 said:
When


Yep for full year unlimited travel between the designated stations. These are the figures given by National Rail season ticket calculator. And best I can tell it's only good if doing 2 days per week not 3.
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It is. it will only save you money if you work 2 days a week from the office. Too many three days and you will be soon back up above full season ticket price.
 
Greebo said:
This, Had to go to a family funeral in cornwall earlier in the year from the North East. 4 of us. Train tickets would have cost over £1000. Not quite two fill ups with fuel got us there and back so saving £900/.
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Excluding cost of car of course :p
 
Mine was Portsmouth to Waterloo, just checked its £5112 now. The flexi pass is about £4711 for only 2 days a week, some value that....

Add on the tube and its over £6k. You have to make good money for it to be worth it.
 
200sols said:
Mine was Portsmouth to Waterloo, just checked its £5112 now. The flexi pass is about £4711 for only 2 days a week, some value that....
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That's a pathetic saving!

Begbie said:
+ tyres, + servicing, +repairs. I'd imagine most people probably break even when you include all the bills,...
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Nah, not a chance when you average out the fixed costs over your average annual mileage.

Even the back of the fag packet calculations, including the depreciation of an "average" new car over 3 years, by the RAC work out at ~60p / mile (Inc fuel). A second hand car would be much cheaper.

https://media.rac.co.uk/blog_posts/typical-vehicle-running-costs-for-petrol-engine-cars-42585
 
let say you work 5 days a week 52 weeks. £4028 = £15.50 per day/trip

2 days a week 52 weeks = £3477 = £33.40 per day/trip......ouch
 
Ticket prices are dumb if you buy on the day but book before and its a huge ammount less.
 
dLockers said:
Don't forget Tube/Bus on top of that.
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No other transport cost than legs, including house to train - train to office.

Will be putting off going back much as is reasonable, there is nothing in it for me. Whilst I love the banter, amazing office etc I would rather get more sleep.

So im not going mad then, there is no real savings to be had unless it's specially 2 day week. If it's too good to be true....
 
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