Should my Network Railcard give me a discount on a set of three Super-Off-Peak Returns to London on Saturday?

[TheConfusedMan]

I can't quite work out if the Network Railcard actually does anything in this case, as I normally only ever use it during the week.

 

[JonathanH]

Where are you travelling from?

 

[TheConfusedMan]

Sorry - West Cowes (RedJet) to Waterloo - three adults return.

day return, that is.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, it should take a third off each, 70 something quid down to 50 something. Same as a weekday aside from no morning restriction (and no minimum fare, but these fares are well above that).

 

[TheConfusedMan]

That's what I thought, pretty much exactly... I'll try a different ticker vendor, maybe I mucked something up.

Hmm - £167 is the best I can do for Off-Peak-Return - Do you not get SUPER off peak returns at the weekend? I can get down to £150 only if I get Semi-Flexible-Splits but then I'm tied to specific trains, I think - it's hard to tell

Actually, I think the Semi-Flexible Split setup will do it. That's made from 2 x Off-Peak-Returns and 1 x Evening Out Return. None of those are pre-booked advances, so they should be no different to a single Off-Peak return .... ?

 

[stadler]

You can get a super off peak return. The cheapest fare is £76.90 super off peak return reduced to £51.20 with a network railcard. So that is £153.60 total if all three of you have a network railcard.

 

[TheConfusedMan]

I thought the Railcard worked for family members? "When you travel in the Network Railcard area with your Railcard, you and up to 3 additional adults can enjoy 1/3 off most rail fares while up to 4 kids between 5 and 15 get a whopping 60% off theirs when they travel with you!"

But I still haven't been able to get any online ticker seller to even offer Super Off Peak Returns as an option.

Hang on - ahh - so Super Off Peaks still have the time restriction, even at the weekends? That's probably it. My bad.

 

[Watershed]

The Network Railcard is valid all week. It covers the cardholder, plus up to 3 accompanying adults and 4 accompanying children. On weekdays it has a minimum fare of £13 and is only valid from when Off-Peak fares become available in the morning. At weekends it does not have a minimum fare, or impose any additional time restrictions (beyond any restrictions that come with the fare you are buying).

A Super Off-Peak Return from Cowes West to Waterloo costs £51.20 and has restriction code BD, which applies on Saturdays as well as weekdays. This means you cannot arrive into London before 14:01, so your first valid journey would be on the 12:05 RedJet, changing onto the 13:00 from Southampton Central to arrive into Waterloo at 14:22.

Restriction code BD also has evening restrictions (even on Saturdays!) meaning you cannot depart London between 16:00-19:00 (inclusive). There are two journeys after 19:00 to Cowes West - involving leaving Waterloo on the 19:05 or 20:35 towards Southampton Central.

Those are some very heavy time restrictions, so if you'd prefer to arrive earlier and/or to depart during the 'evening peak' you would need to buy an Off-Peak Day Return instead, costing £55.70. This has restriction code US, which doesn't apply on Saturdays, so there would be no time restrictions.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Network Railcards offer the same group discounts as Family and Friends Railcards subject to not discounting Advances, the minimum fares (not applicable on weekends) and restricted area of validity. That is, up to 4 adults and 4 kids with the named Railcard holder being one of those adults (and unlike the F&F a group of solely adults is OK).

The Super Off Peak on this flow indeed carries normal restrictions on a Saturday which is why you're not seeing it. If it was valid at all it would discount.

 

[TheConfusedMan]

Thank peeps - I'd just got so used to travelling up after lunch on week-days for evening events that I'd completely forgot the Super-Off-Peaks still had the restricted times on the weekends. My bad. Some off-peak splits get it down to £150.40, so that seems like the best I'm going to get.

 

[pelli]

The Network Railcard is valid all week. [...] On weekdays it has a minimum fare of £13 and is only valid from when Off-Peak fares become available in the morning.

It's the Family and Friends Railcard that has this kind of weekday morning peak restriction ("4.6. Discounts are not available on tickets for travel: 4.6.1. on morning peak services for journeys that start and end within the London & South East (defined by the Network Railcard area – network-railcard.co.uk/map) on Monday to Friday (except on public holidays). The time when off-peak services start can vary by station. Use nationalrail.co.uk to plan your journey to identify when off-peak services start or ask rail staff for details;") (And the Senior Railcard too.)

The Network Railcard weekday morning peak restriction is simpler: Only valid from 10.00, except for a list of 103 easements (specified stations and train services). ("Some train companies may allow Network Railcard holders to start their journey a little earlier than 10am Monday to Friday on certain services. Current easements are detailed on the Network Railcard time restrictions [https://www.network-railcard.co.uk/download/clientfiles/files/NR_Easements_10June2024(1).pdf]")