3 days wk/southeastern - season ticket or carnet?

[gadald]

I am trying to work out the cheapest fare option. I travel 3 days a week from Paddock Wood to London Bridge in peak time with Southeastern.

I have tried and failed to find any reference to carnets on Southeastern so I presume this option is out. Is an annual season ticket my cheapest option?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks

 

[OwlMan]

A annual season is £3804. A SDR (anytime day return) is £29.
The season ticket is approimately the same cost as 131 SDRs. Therefore it would only be cheaper if you travel to work more that 131 days (44 weeks at 3 days per week). Which considering hoildays & Bank Holidays means it might not be cost effective.

 

[gadald]

Thanks very much for your help.

 

[Yew]

Bear in mind that your season would allow you to go to the city for leisure purposes too. And (I think, check with someone else) allows breaks of journey at stations between your home and london, which could be useful if you have any friends/family on the route?

 

[MarkyMarkD]

It would be interesting to know whether you actually finish your travel at London Bridge, or whether you travel further via bus or underground.

For certain onward travel there are options which are no more expensive than a ticket to London Terminals.

 

[gadald]

I can walk from London Bridge to work and don't often need to go into London when I am not working. By the time I include hols and bank hols its a close run thing as to whether to buy SDRs or an annual season ticket .. if only southeastern sold carnets!

 

[hluraven]

My wife has been working 3 days a week in London Bridge for years and just buys returns. Very expensive for 3 days, and one of the reasons she is leaving that job for a local one.

 

[island]

Perhaps something that would tip the balance for you is that an annual ticket would be issued as a gold card, giving you, up to three accompanying adults, and four accompanying children 34% off journeys after 10am (all day on weekends) in the Network South East area.

 

[RJ]

I can walk from London Bridge to work and don't often need to go into London when I am not working. By the time I include hols and bank hols its a close run thing as to whether to buy SDRs or an annual season ticket .. if only southeastern sold carnets!

If it saves you money, then it loses them money! One good reason for a company not to offer carnets, as there's a steady revenue stream from day returns and season tickets.

 

[MarkyMarkD]

Which is why the current fare review's expressed intent to do something to make thing cheaper for those who commute for less than 5 days a week, or off-peak, somewhat strange because any changes will (inevitably) be revenue neutral.

All they will achieve is a transfer of costs from those who travel less often, to those who travel more often - i.e. making those who already pay the most for travel, pay more, whilst those who currently pay less, will pay less. Madness!

 

[gadald]

A season ticket is alot of money for just 3 days use - I may have to consider doing more days in the office to make it worthwhile. Or maybe I will go for singles in the hope that they may actually introduce a carnet at some point in the future. Thanks all for your advice.

 

[LexyBoy]

If it saves you money, then it loses them money!

That's a bit simplistic (as I'm sure you know); Advance fares can save me money but clearly TOCs believe that they increase revenue.

Many people have an alternative to commuting by train - if the train isn't financially viable then they won't use it, so no revenue for the TOC at all. Those who would use the train anyway may save, but whether these outnumber the potential new travellers will depend on the route and offers available.
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A season ticket is alot of money for just 3 days use - I may have to consider doing more days in the office to make it worthwhile. Or maybe I will go for singles in the hope that they may actually introduce a carnet at some point in the future. Thanks all for your advice.

You can get a refund on the unused period on Season tickets (minus £10 admin fee IIRC), so if you decide to change you wouldn't have paid more than necessary.

A Season is a lot less hassle - no stressing about ticket machine queues - and as island says, a Gold Card gives you very good discounts on other rail travel. Your Season would cover any leisure journeys to London or to any station on any permitted route covered by your Season, which would include routes via Maidstone, Tonbridge etc; possibly via Redhill but I'd need to check that.

 

[trainnerd]

I too use the train to London from Paddock Wood and I think I may know you Gadald! Would you care to go on a romantic date? Hope you sort your query and save pots of cash.