Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Politics] What's this 26-30 railcard business?!





Wrong-Direction

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2013
13,395
It's because us 26-30 year olds have to put up with the other ages bullshit..

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk
 




RexCathedra

Aurea Mediocritas
Jan 14, 2005
3,498
Vacationland
Is there significant competition from buses for city-to-city transport?
And is that age group more bus-friendly than older ones?
My daughter's experience on the continent was that for the younger crowd, rail was usually a third choice after bus and, for medium/long distance, cheap air.
 








Whitechapel

Famous Last Words
Jul 19, 2014
4,056
Not in Whitechapel
Is there significant competition from buses for city-to-city transport?
And is that age group more bus-friendly than older ones?
My daughter's experience on the continent was that for the younger crowd, rail was usually a third choice after bus and, for medium/long distance, cheap air.

National Express do run city to city coaches, and they’re pretty cheap. However they’re massively flawed as I found out whilst attending a meet-up organised on another forum.

The coach was less than half the price of a train return, however my £40 return to Manchester took nearly 9 hours to get there despite no stops after London Victoria. It was baking hot, there was no opening windows and as it was full I had to sit next to a very angry man as he complained for 5 hours. The next morning I woke up with a horrendous hangover, but about £50 up from a trip to the casino so I swallowed my pride and got the train back despite booking a return trip on the coach. Cost me a fortune but I don’t regret it for a second.
 








Cian

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2003
14,262
Dublin, Ireland
I'd just change to the question to just "What's this railcard business?".

There's a baffling variety of railcard options available, all to confuse people and limit the number who take them up, and with their purpose just to make rail fares slightly affordable. Would it not make a lot more sense to just make them that price all the sodding time? I'm used to relatively affordable public transport fares, from a mix of state-owned and non-farebox tendered contracts to some of the same companies as the UK operators - Go-Ahead and Transdev (Connex); allowing a private tenderer to set fares ensures there is no ceiling.

As goes the "millennial" age range - I've been both told I fit in to it, early 30s; and can't fit it to it as I own a house. I was "Gen Y" before that term was removed by the media.
 


pearl

Well-known member
May 3, 2016
12,718
Behind My Eyes
Reckon the rail companies should be forced to introduce a Mon-Fri only season ticket. Most commuters are so heartily sick of the poxy rail network that the very last thing they'd want to do is submit themselves to it of a weekend. Even if it weren't invariably a tatty old tortuously slow bus of a weekend.

coastway travellers (sorry, customers) should also be issued with a forensic style body suit, the seats are disgusting!

I noticed before Christmas that the Caledonian Sleeper had a replacement bus .... imagine sitting on a draughty bus in your jymjams
 




beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,265
Why is train travel so popular?

because, despite the bleating, for medium to long distance commuting the cost is cheaper and slower than alternative of using a car. cost for individual fares is a different matter of course, but then the amount of travel there is great deal less.
 


Beanstalk

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2017
2,454
London
Well not really - people between the ages of 30 and 65 only get one if they're travelling with others.

Anyone over 16 can get a Network Railcard which gives a third off travel in London and the South-East. I know it's not as wide a catchment area as those quoted (and obviously rubbish if you live up north) but it does mean that any train from Brighton is covered.
 


sully

Dunscouting
Jul 7, 2003
7,824
Worthing
What's needed more for modern working patterns is a 'no more than three / four return trips per seven day week' season, irrespective on what days of the week those trips are used on. The main problem with that is a quick and effective way to enforce that condition to prevent over-use. The best way is probably a smartcard ticket valid up a certain total number of journeys over a longer validity period (e.g. up to 100 journeys in a max 200 day validity period). It would still lead to arguments from people who'd think their total of remaining journeys had been miscalculated however.

I doubt anything will ever cover my current work pattern. 2 days a week in Reading, 2days a week in London and one day working from home.

It would be good if there was some method of buying credits for specific journeys at a discounted rate (like the Dart charge) so that I don’t have to pay full fare every day and spend my life buying tickets on line and collecting them from machines!
 




Marty___Mcfly

I see your wicked plan - I’m a junglist.
Sep 14, 2011
2,251
Network Railcard is available to all ages and saves a third of many fares. E.g. at the weekend you can usually get up to London and back with a Zones 1-6 Travelcard for less than £10
 
Last edited:


Barham's tash

Well-known member
Jun 8, 2013
3,612
Rayners Lane
Anyone over 16 can get a Network Railcard which gives a third off travel in London and the South-East. I know it's not as wide a catchment area as those quoted (and obviously rubbish if you live up north) but it does mean that any train from Brighton is covered.

Is a godsend for me travelling down to home games from London and not age specific.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 



Paying the bills

Latest Discussions

Paying the bills

Paying the bills

Paying the bills

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here