Student rail travel help please.

[1066familyman]

You would think the college would be more helpful as can't just be you in this situation

To be fair I suspect it will all be nailed down on enrollment, and perhaps I should have been more insistent on the open days. I'm concerned that once the nuts and bolts are in place and we find out the true cost of travel it might prove to be a real struggle, which is why I've been trying to nail some figures down, but as it's dependent on a few variables I haven't really been able to. In case anyone's wondering why she doesn't just got to a local college - she's a musician and Lewes leads the way in Sussex for music.

Thanks all for all the help and advice. It's most appreciated.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The Unizone card WILL be the answer for you once it gets extended to Hastings:

http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/ticket-types/16/

I believe this is in the process of being agreed. Why not contact them for an update:
http://www.southernrailway.com/p/contact-us/

I think it is extremely unlikely that a Unizone ticket will ever be available at those sort of prices for a journey from Hastings to Lewes. My guess is that the best you can hope to get is an option to buy two separate tickets, one for travel east of Eastbourne and the other for journeys west of Eastbourne. But I might be wrong, of course.

 

[1066familyman]

The Unizone card WILL be the answer for you once it gets extended to Hastings:

http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/ticket-types/16/

I believe this is in the process of being agreed. Why not contact them for an update:
http://www.southernrailway.com/p/contact-us/

Nice find! Thanks. That really does look the ticket!

I'll contact them and see what updates they have.

 

[countryman]

Exactly. Although some days, if her first lesson isn't until later, then maybe. You can see why I'm getting myself all confused and befuddled = confuddled

Looks like the monthly 1/3 off season ticket price you quote maybe the best option more often than not so far.

I know someone who goes from Seaford to Lewes for college and they get a season ticket for each term with a student train card thing. They said that was the cheapest way.

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to go to Park college in Eastbourne? Your daughter will spend half her day on the train or waiting for a train.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I think it is extremely unlikely that a Unizone ticket will ever be available at those sort of prices for a journey from Hastings to Lewes. My guess is that the best you can hope to get is an option to buy two separate tickets, one for travel east of Eastbourne and the other for journeys west of Eastbourne. But I might be wrong, of course.

The University Of Brighton has campuses in Eastbourne & Hastings. There have been discussions with Southern to extend the Unizone card for some time, I'll try and get some info on the current state of affairs and post it up tomorrow. I have no idea what the price would be but one would hope it's not over £75 per month.

 

[1066familyman]

I know someone who goes from Seaford to Lewes for college and they get a season ticket for each term with a student train card thing. They said that was the cheapest way.

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to go to Park college in Eastbourne? Your daughter will spend half her day on the train or waiting for a train.

Thanks.

She'll spend around an hour each way on the train, so yes, a fair bit of travel time, but we reasoned it's good for her independence and it's where she really wants to go as it's the best in Sussex for music.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The University Of Brighton has campuses in Eastbourne & Hastings. There have been discussions with Southern to extend the Unizone card for some time, I'll try and get some info on the current state of affairs and post it up tomorrow. I have no idea what the price would be but one would hope it's not over £75 per month.

I can see your thinking. Mine is focusing on the fact that the distance from Hastings to Lewes by train is about the same as Chichester to Brighton - and you'd need two Unizone tickets for the Chichester - Brighton journey (@ £64.90 + £57.60 = £122.50 per month).

Keep us updated with any news, though.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

And just a thought ... don't students in London get a much better deal out of the TfL Oyster Card system, with half-price peak period tube, DLR and London Overground travel and free travel on buses and trams for students aged 16-18?

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14308.aspx

 

[backson]

This is also much appreciated by others, trying to work out the same for my eldest from Shoreham to Worthing. Thanks all.

 

[1066familyman]

The Unizone card WILL be the answer for you once it gets extended to Hastings:

http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/ticket-types/16/

I believe this is in the process of being agreed. Why not contact them for an update:
http://www.southernrailway.com/p/contact-us/

Just to bring everyone up to date on this. I've emailed Southern Rail for an update on any plans for an East Sussex Unizone ticket (that would cover travel between Hastings & Lewes). I'm now in a queue with a reference number and they say they aim to respond in full within 7 days. I'll update here once I hear back as I see others are interested too. Fingers crossed.

 

[Ernest]

This is also much appreciated by others, trying to work out the same for my eldest from Shoreham to Worthing. Thanks all.

Unizone with NUS card

 

[1066familyman]

This is also much appreciated by others, trying to work out the same for my eldest from Shoreham to Worthing. Thanks all.

The Worthing Unizone ticket seems to be the perfect solution for you.


http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/ticket-types/16/

I haven't checked, but I doubt you'll beat these prices by buying daily?

The Worthing Unizone is available for the following periods:

Weekly: £16.90
Monthly: £64.90
Quarterly: £194.70*

*Days and weeks can be added to the Unizone ticket to fit term dates.

 

[Ernest]

The Worthing Unizone ticket seems to be the perfect solution for you.


http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/ticket-types/16/

I haven't checked, but I doubt you'll beat these prices by buying daily?

The Worthing Unizone is available for the following periods:

Weekly: £16.90
Monthly: £64.90
Quarterly: £194.70*

*Days and weeks can be added to the Unizone ticket to fit term dates.

Remember you need a NUS membership card as well as a season ticket photocard to buy a Unizone

 

[1066familyman]

Remember you need a NUS membership card as well as a season ticket photocard to buy a Unizone

Yep, saw that in the small print. Good to mention it though as I forgot to in my post. Thanks.

 

[Hugo Rune]

From what I understand, Southern want proof or research that enough Students travel from Hastings/Eastbourne regularly to Brighton/Lewes before they create a new Unizone. I'm not holding my breath on this. The NUS card used to only be available for 18+/higher education but it is being extended to 16+ further education so some good news there.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

From what I understand, Southern want proof or research that enough Students travel from Hastings/Eastbourne regularly to Brighton/Lewes before they create a new Unizone. I'm not holding my breath on this. The NUS card used to only be available for 18+/higher education but it is being extended to 16+ further education so some good news there.

This is a classic situation faced by retailers of a whole range of products.

How many people want the product?
Should we count the number of people who are already buying it? [not many]
If that's a measure of real demand, all we will achieve is less sales revenue.
Or do we take a gamble and hope that a big discounted price will coax many more users into buying the product?
The railways are fairly haphazard when it comes to this sort of market analysis.

The other complicating factor (at least as far as students aged 16-18 are concerned) is that a lot of students are influenced in their choice of college by the fact that transport costs for long journeys are, at the moment, prohibitively expensive - so they choose courses that are closer to home and cheaper to get to. Offering a cheap ticket and launching it in, say, January won't have any effect until the following September. Launching it in September is too late to influence college choice decisions. If they do decide to go ahead, they need to plan on the basis of toughing out a very long period of nobody apparently being interested in buying it. Again, this is something the railways aren't particularly good at.

 

[1066familyman]

Just to bring everyone up to date on this. I've emailed Southern Rail for an update on any plans for an East Sussex Unizone ticket (that would cover travel between Hastings & Lewes). I'm now in a queue with a reference number and they say they aim to respond in full within 7 days. I'll update here once I hear back as I see others are interested too. Fingers crossed.

Further update:

I got a second response from Southern Customer Services on 21 August apologising for the delay and stating they aim to respond to my query within 5 days. Tonight, 15 days after the 5 day "aim" I sent another email. Just received an automated response saying they aim to reply to my query within the next 7 days.

Meanwhile, term starts in 5 days time. Thanks Southern, really helpful

 

[Ernest]

Further update:

I got a second response from Southern Customer Services on 21 August apologising for the delay and stating they aim to respond to my query within 5 days. Tonight, 15 days after the 5 day "aim" I sent another email. Just received an automated response saying they aim to reply to my query within the next 7 days.

Meanwhile, term starts in 5 days time. Thanks Southern, really helpful

Just sent you a message with some help

 

[1066familyman]

Just sent you a message with some help

Greatfully received. Thanks

 

[1066familyman]

Ok, as promised, update on my East Sussex Unizone query to Southern.

After a lengthy email process showing poor customer service which in the end required a bit of nudging where it counts, I finally get a definitive answer:

"In regards to the Unizone ticket being available for the East Sussex area, there are no current plans to extend the ticket availability, but please be assured you comments have been noted for future consideration."

Not the answer I was hoping for, but thankfully the Sussex Student Card (free to all Sussex students in full time education) finally arrived and we've gone down the 1/3 off a season ticket route. Have to book this season ticket minimum of 7 days in advance, and only online, but so far so good.

Thanks all for the help and advice offered on here. Hopefully the info in this post will be of value to others too.