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Topic: Cheap Day Returns to Melksham? (Read 2278 times)
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Graz
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I was hoping to travel to Melksham next wednesday in the middle of the day to see the rail line and station before the cuts are introduced, hopefully travelling both sides of the line (to Trowbridge and then back via Chippenham). However, after checking the rail times, I was surprised there wasn't a cheap day return option availible from Oldfield Park (or Bath Spa) to Melksham, only standard day returns (on which I can't use my student railcard discount.) Is it just the National Rail site playing up, or can you get one?
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Lee
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You are correct , Graz. However , Cheap Day Returns ARE available from Keynsham or Bristol Temple Meads - Melksham (£6.20 , same price for both.)
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Lee
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You have certainly got me thinking there. From just how many stations in our current timetable area CAN you get a Cheap Day Return to Melksham? You CAN get one from these stations : Patchway , Filton Abbey Wood , Bristol Temple Meads , Keynsham , Yeovil Pen Mill , Thornford , Yetminster , Chetnole , Maiden Newton , Dorchester West , Upwey and Weymouth. But you CANT from these : Cardiff Central , Newport , Severn Tunnel Junction , Oldfield Park , Bath Spa , Freshford , Avoncliff , Bradford - on - Avon , Swindon , Chippenham , Trowbridge , Westbury , Frome , Bruton , Castle Cary , Dilton Marsh , Warminster , Salisbury , Dean , Dunbridge , Romsey , Eastleigh , Southampton Airport Parkway , Southampton Central , Fareham , Cosham , Fratton , Portsmouth and Brighton. Quote from the First Great Western website (link below.) http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=36 "Cheap day single and return tickets are available on most local journeys and valid only for the date displayed on the ticket. Travel is permitted for off-peak travel only." Erm..... exactly what definition of "most local journeys" is being used for Melksham? I am sure that Graham would appreciate an e-mail from anyone "in the know." Of course , in practical terms , you wont be able to get a Cheap Day Return to Melksham from ANY of the stations listed above (or from anywhere else) from December 2006 (link below.) http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/Rev%20Dec%20TTs/SX%20-%20Cardiff%20-%20Bristol%20to%20Weymouth%20-%20Portsmouth%20-%20Brighton.pdfJust out of interest , Graz , what type of railcard have you got? Apparently , you can get a discount on standard day returns with a Young Persons Railcard. |
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« Last Edit: September 12, 2006, 12:52:43 PM by Lee »
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Graz
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Hey Lee, this is turning out to be pretty interesting and mysterious at the same time! I've just checked, and you can also get cheap day returns to Melksham from:
Bedminster, Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Bristol Parkway, and Yate (£6.20)
Montpelier, Redland, Clifton Down, Sea Mills, Shirehampton, Avonmouth, St Andrews Road, and Severn Beach (£6.60)
Nailsea and Backwell, Yatton, (£8.00) (Parson St didn't seem to be working, for some reason)...
Worle, Weston Milton, Weston-super-Mare (£12.00)
Cam and Dursley, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, and Ashchurch for Tewkesbury (£14.50)
Not possible from: Lydney, Chepstow, Caldicot, Stonehouse, Stroud, Kemble, anywhere north of Ashchurch (including Worcester SH), Highbridge & Burnham and further south-west.
As shown above, this system is really confusing...you can buy a Cheap Day Return from Bath Spa to Maesteg in Wales (which I wouldn't say is a local journey at all!) and as far north from Bath as Ashchurch for Tewkesbury (That's not really that local either). You can also get a CDR from Bath Spa to Highbridge & Burnham, but you can't get a CDR from Bath to Taunton. However, you can get one from Keynsham to Taunton. So in essence the cheapest way of going to Taunton would be to buy a ticket from Oldfield Park to Keynsham and again from Keynsham to Taunton. It's rediculous!
I don't have a clue why it's not possible to get a Cheap Day Return on an extremely local Trowbridge-Melksham or Chippenham-Melksham journey. It makes absolutely no sense to me why you can't from anywhere local to Melksham, but you can get one from places like Weymouth and Ashchurch for Tewkesbury- not local at all!
And as for the Young Persons railcard discount...it turns out I can! I felt sure when I asked at Bath Spa, I was told I couldn't....maybe she thought I was travelling earlier, or something! Still, a cheap day return would still be a lot more favourable...
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Lee
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And as for the Young Persons railcard discount...it turns out I can! I felt sure when I asked at Bath Spa, I was told I couldn't....maybe she thought I was travelling earlier, or something! Still, a cheap day return would still be a lot more favourable... She may have been trying to warn you of the following quote , Graz (link below.) http://www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk/terms_conditions.htm"Minimum fares / Time restrictions. Travelling before 10am minimum fares: This applies to all tickets except the Off-Peak Day Travelcard (All Zones only) which has separate minimum fare conditions. On or before 10am Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays and during July and August) there is a minimum fare that applies to all purchases with a Young Persons Railcard. This is either £8.00 or £16.00 depending on the type of ticket being purchased. Most will be £8.00, but the following ticket types have a minimum fare of £16.00: Standard Day Returns, Standard Open Returns, European Open Returns. For example: If an undiscounted Single ticket costs £8.50 and the normal 1/3 discount makes the fare £5.60, you will have to pay the minimum fare of £8.00. If an undiscounted Standard Open Return costs £27.00, then you will get the full 1/3 discount as the discounted fare of £17.80 is higher than the £16.00 minimum fare. If you travel regularly before 10am, then a weekly or monthly season ticket may be more appropriate." Where have I heard that before? Chris Irwin has echoed the call by Saltash Rail Users Group that urges passengers to renew their Cornish Railcard by the end of today , and has accused First Great Western of forcing some commuters in Cornwall to endure travel cost increases because of the changes. (link below.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/5328362.stmThe old Cornish Railcard offered people in Cornwall and Plymouth a third off standard class fares on any route between Plymouth and Penzance , including branch lines. They are valid for a year. First said it was combining its Cornish Railcard with its Devon counterpart (as predicted by Saltash Rail Users Group) , and that its new season tickets , which are available from next week , would continue a one-third discount for commuters. But its price is based on passengers using services five days a week. Chris Irwin said: "It will impact on people who do part-time work, and on anyone who travels the slightest bit regularly before 9.30am unless they've got a season ticket. "My message is to go and buy the current Cornish Railcard sometime before offices close on Saturday evening." BBC South West Business Correspondent Neil Gallacher said: "First said since it began its new franchise, it had cut the price of Cheap Day Return, Cornish Day Ranger and Devon Day Ranger tickets. "But it is clear that because the franchise requires First to hand £1bn to the government, savings have to be made somewhere." |
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Lee
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I was hoping to travel to Melksham next wednesday in the middle of the day to see the rail line and station before the cuts are introduced, hopefully travelling both sides of the line (to Trowbridge and then back via Chippenham). However, after checking the rail times, I was surprised there wasn't a cheap day return option availible from Oldfield Park (or Bath Spa) to Melksham, only standard day returns (on which I can't use my student railcard discount.) Is it just the National Rail site playing up, or can you get one? I have just been reminded by the link below that you can save 1/3 off integrated PlusBus tickets as well. http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=45Could come in handy..................(link below.) http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=424.msg1249#msg1249 |
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