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Gold Card Questions & More...

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[.n]

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I just want to check some things to make sure I understand correctly. Please assume all travel is within the Gold Card area/ participating TOC and is outside of 04.30-09.29 (Mon-Fri).

A) Cheapest Gold Card?

I have an SWR smart card, so I suppose I could load the Gold Card on there to save wear and tear, so the question is really probably about the Gold Record Card?

Is this still the cheapest annual (assuming it issued as an Annual Gold Card / with a Gold Record Card)

Exeter-Exeter St Davids £156 (This seems to be SWR to me)

Failing that other options seem to be:

Lapworth-Hatton £176 (not SWR)
Ryde Esplanade-St Johns £192 (does this count as SWR or Island Line)

The SWR question is relevant in the context of the possibility of the old SWT weekend tickets still being valid with them - as this does have some value to me - I have a lot of these still

B) Even with a standard class gold card can I obtain a discount on 1st class tickets?

C) The NR website states

Standard and First Class Anytime and Off-Peak tickets...
...Off-Peak Day Travelcard Zones 1-6
...Oyster Off-Peak pay as you go single fares and the pay as you go daily price cap
...PlusBus Day tickets in the Network Railcard area

Does this include tickets that are one of the following (either in a standard or 1st class variant)

Anytime Return (FOR/SOR) [Out within 5 days, Return within a month]
Anytime Open (OR1/OR2) [Out that day, Return within a month]
Anytime Day Return (FDR/SDR) [out and return same day]
Off-Peak Return (FRW/SVR) [Out that day, Return within a month]
Super Off-Peak Return (SSR) [Out that day, Return within a month]
Off-Peak Day Return (FRX/SOD) [out and return same day]
Super Off-Peak Day Return (FSB/SOH) [out and return same day]
PlusBus Period Return [these seem to be a new thing, not seen period returns before]

D) I'm planning to also buy a weekly 1st class Z1-Z2 Travelcard (paper) - as far as I can see there is no Oyster method of PAYG or daily option that would cover this [travel within zones 1+2 for tube/train/bus AND zones 1-6 for bus]
 
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infobleep

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I can't answer all your questions but in July I renewed my Exeter part time season ticket. It is priced by Great Western Railway.
 

Watershed

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A) Cheapest Gold Card?

I have an SWR smart card, so I suppose I could load the Gold Card on there to save wear and tear, so the question is really probably about the Gold Record Card?

Is this still the cheapest annual (assuming it issued as an Annual Gold Card / with a Gold Record Card)

Exeter-Exeter St Davids £156 (This seems to be SWR to me)

Failing that other options seem to be:

Lapworth-Hatton £176 (not SWR)
Ryde Esplanade-St Johns £192 (does this count as SWR or Island Line)

The SWR question is relevant in the context of the possibility of the old SWT weekend tickets still being valid with them - as this does have some value to me - I have a lot of these still
Yes, you need to check with the clerk before buying it, as the £156 Exeter Central-St Davids annual is a part-time season ticket, so some clerks won't consider it eligible for a Gold Card.

Otherwise Lapworth-Hatton (£176) or Lichfield City-Trent Valley (£184) are the next cheapest options.

It depends on what the conditions of use are for your old SWT weekend tickets, but if they simply say you need a season ticket valid on SWT/SWR services, an Exeter Central-St Davids season will do.

C) The NR website states


Does this include tickets that are one of the following (either in a standard or 1st class variant)

Anytime Return (FOR/SOR) [Out within 5 days, Return within a month]
Anytime Open (OR1/OR2) [Out that day, Return within a month]
Anytime Day Return (FDR/SDR) [out and return same day]
Off-Peak Return (FRW/SVR) [Out that day, Return within a month]
Super Off-Peak Return (SSR) [Out that day, Return within a month]
Off-Peak Day Return (FRX/SOD) [out and return same day]
Super Off-Peak Day Return (FSB/SOH) [out and return same day]
PlusBus Period Return [these seem to be a new thing, not seen period returns before]
I don't think there is any 'discrimination' based on the ticket type code. Basically, if it's an Anytime or Off-Peak ticket of any kind within the area of validity of a Gold Card (and isn't an Avanti or LNER only ticket), you'll get the discount. Not heard of PlusBus Period Return tickets before but I assume they are discounted in exactly the same way.

D) I'm planning to also buy a weekly 1st class Z1-Z2 Travelcard (paper) - as far as I can see there is no Oyster method of PAYG or daily option that would cover this [travel within zones 1+2 for tube/train/bus AND zones 1-6 for bus]
Well certainly not if you want 1st class, as Oyster/contactless PAYG is only valid in standard class.
 

infobleep

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One thing to add is that SWT free tickets were initially issued regardless of season ticket type and then it changed to them only meant to be issued if your season ticket was priced by SWT.

To use them you sont need an SWR season ticket. Any one on Gold Card stock will do.

If you have trouble getting someone to issue a season ticket on Gold Card stock and you are near another station run by a different TOC, I would suggest trying there.
 
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yorkie

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Ryde Esplanade-St Johns £192 (does this count as SWR or Island Line)
Island Line isn't a TOC; it's a brand name of SWR.

(It's the same principle as LNR/WMR being brands of West Midlands Trains, Stansted Express being a brand of Greater Anglia, and ... well, I won't mention Britain's biggest TOC ;))
 

infobleep

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One way to Tower Hill?
:lol: :lol: Now updated.

I keep a spreadsheet of savings made by having a gold card vers Network Rail Card to prove to myself it is value for money.

As for free travel, I am intending to make use of such a thing this Saturday. Hopefully, they will be able to provide train service from Guildford to Farnham, as opposed to a bus, as I'm travelling via various additional lines just to enjoy as much travel as possible, whilst still reaching the destination I'm aiming for.

This way I can offset more savings from my Gold Card cost. With more travel taking place now though I've already saved just over £15 in one month alone vees having a Network Rail Card .

So it is worth doing.
 

[.n]

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One thing to add is that SWT free tickets were initially issued regardless of season ticket type and then it changed to them only meant to be issued if your season ticket was priced by SWT.

To use them you sont need an SWR season ticket. Any one on Gold Card stock will do.

If you have trouble getting someone to issue a season ticket on Gold Card stock and you are near another station run by a different TOC, I would suggest trying there.


I live in SWR land :)

Having said that I realise that I have so many "free" SWT tickets probably means they're not that valuable a perk as I had thought.

Thanks to all the posters, I think I'll try after checking how its issued the Exeter one - though the question is which days are the best value to choose :) [I'm thinking its either Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Weds/Thurs]

:lol: :lol: Now updated.

I keep a spreadsheet of savings made by having a gold card vers Network Rail Card to prove to myself it is value for money.

As for free travel, I am intending to make use of such a thing this Saturday. Hopefully, they will be able to provide train service from Guildford to Farnham, as opposed to a bus, as I'm travelling via various additional lines just to enjoy as much travel as possible, whilst still reaching the destination I'm aiming for.

This way I can offset more savings from my Gold Card cost. With more travel taking place now though I've already saved just over £15 in one month alone vees having a Network Rail Card .

So it is worth doing.
What metrics do you use to count as the saving from a Gold Card over the Network Card?

By my calculations, my breakeven point for buying a Gold Card in the first instance for the journeys I'm hoping to make is 3 if I do them in 1st class, more if I decide that standard class works just as well, but still within the realms of making savings overall. And obviously if I choose Exeter or Ryde, then I might actually make those journeys and save a few pennies on those too (very little chance of me using the other options - I had to look them up on a map to see where they were)
 
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Kite159

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The main benefit of a gold card over a network railcard is not having a minimum fare, makes splitting tickets cheaper (especially if short distance). Or doing short journeys during the week.

Also it can be loaded onto an oyster card, and those little savings soon add up. Especially if you also travel towards the extended area of validity a few times.
 

CyrusWuff

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The main benefit of a gold card over a network railcard is not having a minimum fare, makes splitting tickets cheaper (especially if short distance). Or doing short journeys during the week.
They're also valid from 0930 rather than 1000, and the Gold Card covers an extended area (the entire Chiltern route, all of West Mids/London Northwestern and all of Greater Anglia).
 

infobleep

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I live in SWR land :)

Having said that I realise that I have so many "free" SWT tickets probably means they're not that valuable a perk as I had thought.

Thanks to all the posters, I think I'll try after checking how its issued the Exeter one - though the question is which days are the best value to choose :) [I'm thinking its either Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Weds/Thurs]


What metrics do you use to count as the saving from a Gold Card over the Network Card?

By my calculations, my breakeven point for buying a Gold Card in the first instance for the journeys I'm hoping to make is 3 if I do them in 1st class, more if I decide that standard class works just as well, but still within the realms of making savings overall. And obviously if I choose Exeter or Ryde, then I might make those journeys and save a few pennies on those too (very little chance of me using the other options - I had to look them up on a map to see where they were)
My metrics are this.
Is the journey Monday to Friday and is the cost under £13

If the answer is yes then it goes onto the spreadsheet.

If I have saved other people money, such as buying a cheaper Network Rail Card or I've bought tickets for which I'll get the money back I have this in a separate column and finally I have a combined one.

In addition to this, I add in the full cost of free tickets I use, if I has to purchase them on the day.

I look up the ticket prices for all the journeys I made on a split ticketing site so I take into account where I would have split my tickets. I sont include advances, as I'm doing this on the day.
 

[.n]

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My metrics are this.
Is the journey Monday to Friday and is the cost under £13

If the answer is yes then it goes onto the spreadsheet.

If I have saved other people money, such as buying a cheaper Network Rail Card or I've bought tickets for which I'll get the money back I have this in a separate column and finally I have a combined one.

In addition to this, I add in the full cost of free tickets I use, if I has to purchase them on the day.

I look up the ticket prices for all the journeys I made on a split ticketing site so I take into account where I would have split my tickets. I sont include advances, as I'm doing this on the day.


Thanks, that makes sense, if I also add where the journey was before 10.00am as an additional metric that'll help.

I like the idea of also counting the saving on the additional railcard - there's a whole extra calculation to be done there about using that railcard for journeys outside the Gold Card area!!!

There is split ticket scenario involved in some of my planned journeys - that was what the Travelcard would cover, but I don't think its worthwhile making that part of the journey the Gold Card part.
 

Kite159

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They're also valid from 0930 rather than 1000, and the Gold Card covers an extended area (the entire Chiltern route, all of West Mids/London Northwestern and all of Greater Anglia).

Which is handy when your local station has trains departing at XX:59 so I can use it on the 09:59 rather than waiting an hour or getting a lift to the next station along the line where the network card becomes valid
 

infobleep

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Thanks, that makes sense, if I also add where the journey was before 10.00am as an additional metric that'll help.

I like the idea of also counting the saving on the additional railcard - there's a whole extra calculation to be done there about using that railcard for journeys outside the Gold Card area!!!

There is split ticket scenario involved in some of my planned journeys - that was what the Travelcard would cover, but I don't think its worthwhile making that part of the journey the Gold Card part.
I got to mention the before 10 am bit. I include that too.
 

bubieyehyeh

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One benefit of gold card over network is the ability to get a discount on off-peak oyster journeys and cap.
 

MikeWh

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Also you get the discounted Oyster fares if you start the journey between 4 and 6.30am.
Actually 4.30 am - 6.30 am, but the principle is right, it's any off-peak priced journey.
 

bubieyehyeh

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yes and you only need to tap to start the oyster journey before 6.30am to be charged the discounted off-peak rate.
 
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