There are now nine cards to choose from and the only group that doesn’t have a railcard for them are singles aged 31 to 59. And even they have the option to buy a network card for use in the southern half of England, including in and outside of London. The most popular cards cost £30 a year (or, in many cases, £70 over three years) and usually give a 33% discount on the ticket price. Users of some of the cards (including cards 16-25 and 26-30) can use them at peak times – albeit with a minimum charge of £12. Others, such as elderly users, must travel off-peak, which generally means after 9.30am. or, annoyingly, at 10 a.m. in the case of the network card. In some cases, users will save the purchase price of the card in one or two trips. They are now available digitally (to keep on mobile) or in print. Just don’t forget to take it with you or keep your phone charged. Railcards are available in paper or digital form. Photo: Peter Scholey/Alamy
Still need a full-time season ticket?
In response to more people working part of their week at home, the rail industry has started offering flexible season tickets that typically allow users to travel eight days in a 28-day period. The problem is that in many cases the discounts aren’t enough to make them worthwhile. When MoneySavingExpert crunched the numbers, it found that part-time season tickets offer the best value for those who travel two days a week, but even then not in all cases. If you go to the office for either one or three or more days a week, you may be better off buying day tickets or the full season ticket, he concluded. One of the biggest ways to save money on your commute is to take your trip to an off-peak state – assuming your boss will allow it. This makes a lot of sense if you often add a tab as well. For others, Carnet tickets offer a 10% discount on some routes but again only off-peak.
Go the long way – buy in advance and see the singles
Rail companies are now like airlines in that the earlier you book, the more likely you are to get a cheap advance ticket. It is generally best to start looking for tickets around 12 weeks before your trip. This is where Network Rail needs to have a fixed timetable. Rail operators usually issue cheap advance tickets, unless you’re traveling on the West Coast Avanti, in which case anything goes. It is generally best to start your ticket search around 12 weeks before your rail journey. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Don’t automatically buy a return as two singles are now often cheaper – so check before entering your credit card number. If you’re traveling by rail this Christmas, tickets on most lines are now on sale. Another tip is to avoid peak demand days and times. Just as it is generally cheaper to fly on a Wednesday to Europe, train fares drop significantly on days and times when demand is lower. Hop on a train leaving London after 19:00 and the fare is significantly reduced.
Get a free alert when tickets go on sale
Put your journey details into the Trainline ticket alert system and you’ll receive an email when advance tickets go on sale for that journey, which are usually the cheapest fares. The only problem with using Trainline is the booking fees it charges – up to £1.75 for tickets that can be bought free of charge elsewhere. Check to see if two singles are cheaper than a return. Photo: Yui Mok/PA
Check online at the last minute
If you missed the 12-week deadline and find yourself traveling at the last minute, don’t despair. If the tickets are not sold out, seven railway companies now allow you to buy the cheapest advance tickets on the day. Check the website on the way to the station as it can be much cheaper than the fare on foot.
Split tickets
Heading to Durham from London on a train that stops at York, it could well be cheaper to buy two tickets – one to York and one to Durham. A number of websites and apps will determine if you can save money by buying two or more tickets for your chosen journey. Four locations stand out. TrainPal seems to be the cheapest as it doesn’t charge any fees, but reviews show that it won’t always find the cheapest options. Split My Fare and TrainTickets.com are more flexible but will charge 15% or 10% of the savings made respectively. However, they only work through the website and not an app. Trainsplit is another one worth checking out. It also charges 15%, but offers an app. Can you save money by buying two or more tickets for your trip? Photo: Chris Thain/Alamy Savings will really vary, but can be generous. For example, those booking a standard return from Taunton to London will pay £105. However, if you split the journey to Pewsey, you can reduce the fare to £42.70 – a saving of £62.30. To use split tickets you do not need to get off the train, but the train must stop at the station where you are theoretically changing trains. For those who make the same trip regularly, it’s worth exploring all the options.
Claim any refunds due for late return
You’d be surprised how many regular rail users don’t claim the compensation they’re due when their train is delayed. The exact terms of the refund vary by train operator, but in most cases passengers are entitled to a 50% refund if they are delayed by one hour and a full refund if they are two hours late. Make sure you keep the ticket instead of tearing it up in frustration, as you may need to provide a photo of it as part of your claim. On some routes, the coach can be as fast as a train. Photo: Hollie Adams/Getty Images
Get the trainer instead
Although taking a coach from, say, Glasgow to London may seem like a long way for many people, on some routes the coach is almost as fast as the train and much cheaper. This is especially true if you are traveling at the last minute and all the “cheaper” advance fares are gone. This week, National Express quoted just £4.90 for the next day journey from London to Bristol – leaving at 8am. and arriving just under three hours later. Great Western Railway wanted £100 for an early morning departure or £55 if I was prepared to wait until 9.32am. for a train arriving at Bristol Temple Meads after the coach has arrived. The Bristol route is a winner because the coach is on the motorway for almost the entire journey, but there are plenty of other coach journeys that take longer than the train, although not so much as to justify the extra cost. Weigh up total travel times – bus stations are often closer to the city center or your final destination.
