Learning how to "Split at Didcot"

[whole diary]

[Sharon]

Hello,

My name is Sharon, and I was introduced to this Forum (and the concept of splitting my train ticket at Didcot) last Thursday in a random conversation at the buffet bar on my way home from work.

So when I went to buy my weekly ticket for this week,on Monday morning, I bought a weekly season from Swindon to Didcot, and a weekly season from Didcot to London Paddington.

I saved myself ^30, so thank you very much for the advice.

However, when looking for my new annual season ticket price (I intend to get an annual season ticket for obvious reasons, but am just waiting til I get back from holidays later this month), by splitting my ticket, and buying 2 season tickets for the year only saves me ^340 (I appreciate ^340 is still a lot of money, but was expecting it to be more, after last week's conversation).

Is there a cheaper way to purchase my tickets to London (I don't purchase underground)?  I can't really book individual tickets in advance, as I commute 4 days per week, and whilst I always catch the same train in the mornings, I am not always on the same train coming home.

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

[ChrisB]

Firstly - buying two seasons means that you can now *only* travel on trains that stop at Didcot in both directions.....which cuts down on your choice of trains....

Is this ok with you?

[Sharon]

My "normal" trains do stop at Didcot, but I am aware that buying my tickets this way would leave me with less options in the event of a delay/cancellation etc.

However, for obvious reasons, my first priority has to be price.  A standard season from Swindon to Paddington is ^7,024.  This is a massive amount of money just to get to and from work, and so I am interested in any way to reduce that.

Obviously if there is a solution whereby I can still travel on a train that doesn't stop at Didcot, then that would be even better.....

Sorry for being a little vague.

[JayMac]

Hello again Sharon, and a very warm welcome to the Coffee Shop! That was me you were talking to last week.  

You are correct in saying that the saving on the split annual season tickets is ^340. My apologies if I gave the impression it would more. Matey stood with us was confusing the conversation because one of his split seasons was a zonal ticket (Travelcard). You made it clear to me you didn't need additional travel on the Underground.

As you say, ^340 is not to be sniffed at, particularly if you are happy to limit yourself to services that call at Didcot. That's not too problematical when travelling to/from Swindon. There's two an hour, one to/from Bristol Temple Meads, one to/from South Wales, plus a third every two hours to/from Cheltenham Spa.

I can't see any further savings to be had unfortunately. You can of course buy day tickets for one part of the split and those in combination with a season ticket will let you travel on any train from Swindon to London, not just the Didcot callers. But over a year that will cost considerably more than the season ticket(s).

Here, just for reference is what the National Rail Conditions of Carriage say about split ticketing:

19. Using a combination of tickets
You may use two or more tickets for one journey as long as together they cover the entire journey and one of the following applies:

(a) they are both Zonal Tickets (unless special conditions prohibit their use);
(b) the train you are in calls at a station where you change from one ticket to another; or
(c) one of the tickets is a Season Ticket (which for this purpose does not include Season Tickets or travel passes issued on behalf of a passenger transport executive or local authority) or a leisure travel pass, and the other ticket(s) is/are not.

You must comply with any restriction shown on the tickets relating to travel in the trains of a particular Train Company or Train Companies (see Condition 10). If you do not comply with this Condition, you will be treated as having joined the train without a ticket and the relevant parts of Condition 2 or 4 will apply, either to the entire journey, or from the last station where the train stopped at which at least one of the tickets was valid.

All that said, I trust the ^340 saved will doubtless make your evening drink at the buffet taste all the nicer.  

bignosemac.

[Sharon]

Hello there.
I think it was matey who was stood with us, who implied the savings would be greater.  But perhaps he is only an occasional traveller - otherwise how could a daily travelcard be cheaper than a season ticket?

Your advice has been very useful, and whilst I do not necessarily need anything to make my evening drink at the buffet taste any nicer, I shall not mind paying the price quite so much knowing it is coming out of my ^340 saving! 

Thank you for introducing me to the Coffee Shop.

Sharon

[Westernchallenger]

There are a whole number of savings available from splitting at Didcot particularly from Bristol, Bath and Chippenham for both seasons and walk up tickets. Some Bath to London prices can be reduced by a small amount more by also splitting at Reading. As all trains except the 0640 Bristol (SX) call at Reading this doesn't constrain you further.

[ChrisB]

However, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are aware and are closing the differential with every chance they get.

[grahame]

However, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are aware and are closing the differential with every chance they get.

It's in the long term interest of an understandable and just system to have anomolies worked out of the system ... to head towards a pricing scheme where you can pretty much expect to pay the same if you buy a ticket from A to C as you would pay for A to B plus B to C (where B is between A and C).  Things like the "Didcot split" really shouldn't exist ... but then (as an individual) I want to get best value for the money I earn, so will use them while they're around.   Amounts can be substantial too!

[super tm]

I dont think its possible for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to get rid of the difference in the season ticket prices.  As they are regulated fares there is a set limit by how much they can be increased and so they could not increase one the the season ticket prices to eliminate the differential.

Yes I know they could reduce the price of the Swindon Reading one but I dont think that is very likely 

[JayMac]

Increase the split fares by RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context))+3% each year, whilst either not increasing the through fare or only increasing it by smaller amounts each year. Eventually the differential would be closed.

I think. 

[super tm]

Most people do buy the direct Swindon to Reading ticket so they would lose the money from the season tickets they have not increased.

And with the combination there is a gap of about 45 minutes each hour during they day when you cannot catch a train. (Between the xx57 to bristol next train xx41 to cardiff)

Also the government has effectively told the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s to increase the tickets by RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) +3% to get more revenue.  Dont think it will go down too well for future franchisees if they do not increase the ticket price.

[ChrisB]

Don't fiorget fares are in baskets that can be averaged by +/- 5%.....so one fare could go down even while the other goes up by 13%......

[smokey]

Whilst splitting can save money, (but causes Train Must Stop issues), the Annual season ticket price is the Weekly fare X 40.

I knew one chap who had an Annual season ticket, he took his two weeks leave at the end of his Season ticket period, for at least the last ten years of his working life. In effect he brought an annual ticket every 54 weeks.

[ChrisB]

I know a couple of others that do that every year.

[SusanW]

Hi Sharon,

I've done the Swindon-London commute for three years or so. I've tried to find other ways of saving money but there aren't any!

Having persuaded my bosses that I didn't need to be in London everyday, I now travel in about 2 days a week, buying advance purchase tickets to save money. But if you're going in 3 or more days in a week then the season tickets are better value.

Good luck!

P.S. You may be interested in this campaign - http://fairfares4swindon.wordpress.com/