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



Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,865
Guiseley
I get why students get a rail card, and people who've only just left school, but why do 26-30s get one?

I had more disposable income as a 26 year old than I do now and I would imagine that's the case with most people, certainly those with kids! Just wondered what the thinking was.

By the way I hold the view that all rail fares should be heavily subsidised by the government, and that this would stimulate the economy.
 




middletoenail

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2008
3,570
Hong Kong
I think there's more important things to worry about, like the trains actually running on time, but I don't disagree with you.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 




Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,730
Brighton
Cos it will help them get on the property ladder wont it? Poor little millennial snowflakes


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You're aware of the stats re: wage rises since the 60s, compared to house price rises? Millenials have been absolutely royally ****ed over.
 






Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,730
Brighton
Not to get too misty eyed about the good old days price-of-living wise, but I was with a client the other day who saw Pink Floyd at Brighton Dome the first time they toured The Dark Side of the Moon live. Nowadays you'd be looking at 200-300 quid for a gig of that quality and importance.

Their ticket cost?




75 pence. (75p)
 


happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
7,935
Eastbourne
You're aware of the stats re: wage rises since the 60s, compared to house price rises? Millenials have been absolutely royally ****ed over.

Indeed. I bought a 1 bed flat in 1987 which cost me 3 times my annual salary. A similar flat in the same area now costs 7-8 times the annual salary for that grade.
 




Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,865
Guiseley
I personally think it should extend to 35's, but it is the LEAST we could be doing for people of that age group.

Millennials have been really, really shat on by baby boomers. Lower wages, virtually unachievable property prices & crazily high rent, terrible pension prospects, the list goes on... rail fares are just the icing on the cake, they can do with every bit of help they can get.

I think that's my point really - the 30 - 40 age group hasn't done well out of it.

You can add student loans to your list.
 


Beanstalk

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2017
2,454
London
I think that's my point really - the 30 - 40 age group hasn't done well out of it.

You can add student loans to your list.

Those who were the first to pay £9,000 fees are turning 26 this year...
 


studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
29,555
On the Border
Seen as a vote winner when announced in a budget sometime ago, but with this being introduced by the Tories they have performed badly in actually introducing the card for 26-30 year olds.
Clearly the Tories wanted a good headline or two when they announced it, but didn't want to release all of the money straight away. So it was released in drip drip fashion, with only a very limited number of cards being available on certain lines as a trial to start with. Why a trial was needed, bot one other than that excuse for a Transport Minister knows given that there are many existing discount cards available. So even if you were eligible for one, it was very unlikely you were going to get one from day one.

When they eventually got round to actually releasing the cards to all eligible 26-30s, guess what there were delays of up to 5 hours, yes 5 hours waiting time on line to actually reach the site to actually purchase one, because the servers couldn't cope (no doubt due to lack of investment).

Now all they need is a reliable train service to actually be able to use the card, but as usual it doesn't apply to peak time fares, etc.

Another example from the Tories on how not to introduce something smoothly.
 




Bry Nylon

Test your smoke alarm
Helpful Moderator
Jul 21, 2003
19,781
Playing snooker
Millennials have been really, really shat on by baby boomers. Lower wages, virtually unachievable property prices & crazily high rent, terrible pension prospects, the list goes on...

... and finally, condemning them to travel on our piss-poor excuse for a rail network really is the final kick in the knackers.

Poor ******** :nono:
 


pearl

Well-known member
May 3, 2016
12,714
Behind My Eyes
I get why students get a rail card, and people who've only just left school, but why do 26-30s get one?

I had more disposable income as a 26 year old than I do now and I would imagine that's the case with most people, certainly those with kids! Just wondered what the thinking was.

By the way I hold the view that all rail fares should be heavily subsidised by the government, and that this would stimulate the economy.

student railcard
young persons railcard
two for one
family
senior
we all get one
 








Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
69,880
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.
 


Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,865
Guiseley
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.

Yep. Equally I've had one since August up here, and the only time I'd use it at the weekend is to go out for a beer on Saturday evenings... and there's been no service after 5 on Northern on Saturday evenings since August due to strikes. So it's £18 for an uber every time.
 


Cosmic Joker

The Motorik
Apr 14, 2010
563
Chichester
Now all they need is a reliable train service to actually be able to use the card, but as usual it doesn't apply to peak time fares, etc.

It does apply to peak time fares, provided they are over the minimum fare of £12 (or £18.60 for London zone 1-6 travelcard) and they are for individual tickets rather than seasons.
 




Cosmic Joker

The Motorik
Apr 14, 2010
563
Chichester
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.

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.
 





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