About to start a new commute

[whole diary]

[trevsinclair]

Hey all! How are things?

I would be interested to find out any advice that people may have about how I can best buy tickets that will enable me to commute from Swindon to London.

I have looked at season tickets and there must be a cheaper way to do it. ^8k for an annual ticket???

Would it be cheaper for me to go from Pewsey to London?

[JayMac]

A very warm welcome to the forum trevsinclair! 

A saving can be had on an annual season from Swindon to London by splitting your season tickets at Didcot Parkway. The major proviso with this is that you have to use trains that call at Didcot in both directions. No need with split tickets to disembark/re-board at your split point however.

Swindon to Paddington Annual Season = ^7024

Swindon to Didcot (^2580) plus Didcot to Paddington (^4104) = ^6684.

For comparison, Pewsey to London Paddington is ^5132, but you have far fewer direct trains to choose from. A monthly parking permit at Pewsey is ^96.50, so if you needed 12 months parking as well that would add ^1158 to your season ticket. Total ^6290.

Of course if you need/choose to drive to, and park at Swindon you will have additional parking costs to consider there also.

I've only looked at seasons to Paddington. There will be additional cost if you require onward Underground travel in London. Seasons are also available to LU Zones or inclusive of a Travelcard. With these the split at Didcot still provides a cheaper option than the through season from Swindon.

HTH,

bignosemac.

[grahame]

Hi, Trevsinclair, and welcome to the forum.  The Swindon to London commute is a relatively expensive one .. though 8000 pounds over a normal working year is 35 pounds return per day, which is much less than tickets bought on the day, each day.

As you mention Pewsey, I'm guessing you actually live somewhere in mid Wiltshire - Devizes or Marlborough, perhaps?  So you'll have extra costs of driving and parking.  And where in London are you headed?  Do you need a service that's good into the evening / will you be able to work on the train?  Do you want to be able to catch a train via any reasonable route, or can you accept some restrictions as to which services you use?

Sorry to be answering you question with more questions, but there's a host of options.   A season ticket from an old "Network South East" station is still substantially cheaper mile for mile, and in this area you'll find that's places like Moreton-in-Marsh, Oxford, Didcot, Andover, Salisbury, Bedwyn, Grateley ... but not Swindon nor Pewsey nor Chippenham. And there's nothing to stop you getting two seasons - one from Swindon to "X" and another from "X" to London, provided that you always use trains that stop at "X".   

Interesting throught - if you're mobile and can usually drive to / park at Didcot, but occasionally want to go from Swindon, a Didcot -> London season, plus regular tickets Swindon / Didcot on those day could be worth looking at - and when using such a ticket combination you WOULD be allowed to use expresses that don't stop at Didcot!

[SusanW]

I've been commuting from Swindon to London for a few years now - one of the most expensive train journeys...

With the recent increases in the price of season tickets, I have persuaded my bosses to let me work from home for 3 days a week - I buy advance tickets for the other 2 days (cost ranging from between c.^13.50-^34.50) for a single journey depending on which train and how early I manage to book. If you don't have to go in 5 days a week this might be an option for you. Advance tickets are time-consuming to book and restrictive but at least they always makes me leave work at 5pm prompt!

I also save money by cycling to my office in London rather than getting the tube.

The advantages at Swindon are that the trains are frequent, fast, usually on time and you will 99% of the time get a seat.

Good luck!