Cheapest Monthly Leeds-Doncaster Ticket

I have recently got a new job working in the Doncaster area, and I'm looking at commuting from Leeds. I'm 19, so would qualify for discount rate MetroCard/TravelMaster tickets from both SYPTE and WYPTE, but I'm just wondering what the cheapest way of getting between the two locations would be. Anything with bus validity at either end would be useful, but I can sacrifice it if there is a large price difference.

Although I have suggested a monthly ticket in the title, I'm by no means restricted to that duration, however anything longer would be a bit more risky for me as I am not sure what the future will hold.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Elliott said:

I have recently got a new job working in the Doncaster area, and I'm looking at commuting from Leeds. I'm 19, so would qualify for discount rate MetroCard/TravelMaster tickets from both SYPTE and WYPTE, but I'm just wondering what the cheapest way of getting between the two locations would be. Anything with bus validity at either end would be useful, but I can sacrifice it if there is a large price difference.

Although I have suggested a monthly ticket in the title, I'm by no means restricted to that duration, however anything longer would be a bit more risky for me as I am not sure what the future will hold.

Any help would be much appreciated!

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Note that if you get a Metrocard and TravelMaster you can only catch the slow Northern trains, not East Coast across the county border as the train must stop at South Elmsall.

Deerfold said:

Note that if you get a Metrocard and TravelMaster you can only catch the slow Northern trains, not East Coast across the county border as the train must stop at South Elmsall.

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If however I bought a South Elmsall to Doncaster season ticket, would a MetroCard be accepted on East Coast under section 19 of the NRCOC?

Elliott said:

If however I bought a South Elmsall to Doncaster season ticket, would a MetroCard be accepted on East Coast under section 19 of the NRCOC?

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Good question. I think so as a Metrocard isn't classed as a season ticket so should be ok under 19 (c) - would wait until an expert confirms that though.

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 in this way. The Ticket Seller will, if you ask, advise you whether you can use a Zonal Ticket in combination with another ticket.
(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.

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Seems to indicate I could use a NR season with a MetroCard under 19c, but not a MetroCard with a TravelMaster.

This Metro leaflet http://www.wymetro.com/uploadedFiles/WYMetro/Content/TicketsAndPasses/CrossBoundaryinfoleaflet.pdf states you cannot use either combination on East Coast Trains.

There has been previous discussion on here as to whether this is enforceable. I do not think a consensus was reached.

I have certainly heard EC guards announce that such combinations are not valid to travel bewtween Wakefield and Doncaster.

If you wanted to be really really pedantic in your reading of 19 (c), you could argue that although a PTE season ticket is not treated as a season ticket for the test as to whether it is a season ticket, that does not rule out the possibility that it may still be treated as a season ticket for the test as to whether it is not a season ticket!

Bear in mind that 19(c) could also be written as: "(c) one of the tickets is a Season Ticket or a leisure travel pass, and the other ticket(s) is/ are not. For the purpose of this condition the term "Season Ticket" does not include Season Tickets or travel passes issued on behalf of a passenger transport executive or local authority.", which might be clearer - but then East Coast would have even less of a leg to stand on if denying you travel based on 19(c) not applying.

I wouldn't like to be using a WYPTE season + South Elmsall season ticket combination given that the PTE has produced leaflets stating they can't be combined under 19C, even though a literal reading of the NRCoC implies they are valid.

I would instead pay a bit more and combine the following tickets, under section 19(b) of the NRCoC, which requires the train to make a scheduled stop at the station where you change between tickets.

1) Student Plus Metrocard, available to anyone under 22 years old. This lets you travel anywhere in the West Yorkshire PTE area, including Leeds to Wakefield Westgate on East Coast. Costs £77.40/month

2) Darton - Doncaster National Rail Season ticket. This works out at only £93.70/month as the origin and destination are both within the SYPTE area, so SYPTE choose the price, but it's on the following route via West Yorkshire, which NRE will show without specifying any via points:
Darton - Wakefield Kirkgate --walk-- Wakefield Westgate - Doncaster.
As it's a season ticket you can start and finish short at any intermediate station, including Wakefield Westgate.

Total cost = £77.40 + £93.70 = £171.11/month (which undercuts the through Leeds-Doncaster ticket by about £30, and also lets you travel as much as you like in WYPTE area in your leisure time)

Alas you can't add a Doncaster Plusbus as Darton and Doncaster are both within the same PlusBus zone.
You can save more by either buying the National Rail ticket as an annual (costs the same as 10 months), or buying odd-length seasons which have to be longer than 1 month, so you can make them start on a Monday and end on a Friday 5 weeks later. This way you don't end up paying for every 5th weekend when you won't be travelling.

maniacmartin said:

The WYPTE season + South Elmsall ticket combination is only valid on the slower Northern trains that call at South Elmsall.

I would instead pay a bit more and combine the following tickets, under section 19(b) of the NRCoC, which requires the train to make a scheduled stop at the station where you change between tickets.

1) Student Plus Metrocard, available to anyone under 22 years old. This lets you travel anywhere in the West Yorkshire PTE area, including Leeds to Wakefield Westgate on East Coast. Costs £77.40/month

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To be extended to people 16 to 25 from next month: see http://www.m-card.co.uk/

What a funky website! Clearly the looks were more important than the content and readability

maniacmartin said:

I wouldn't like to be using a WYPTE season + South Elmsall season ticket combination given that the PTE has produced leaflets stating they can't be combined under 19C, even though a literal reading of the NRCoC implies they are valid.

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I'd love to see someone robustly contest this in Court, but only if they had excellent legal representation. I suspect EC would not risk taking it to Court, but I agree I wouldn't like to be the one to try it.