I have been sat down with my spreadsheet, a cup of tea and this article from the Telegraph & Argus. Which explains how the new zone 7 (Cononley & Skipton) will be priced. The answer: it isn’t as good as we thought!
For commuters: you have to make a journey into and through Leeds before the MetroCard+7 makes financial sense.
We had wanted Skipton to be brought into the WY Metro, to help relieve congestion at Steeton & Silsden, (especially the hospital car-park). But upon closer examination it is only better value for customers who have to change at Leeds to another train. So what do you get for your extra £8.60 a week?
For Skipton-Leeds journeys the MetroCard is exactly 5% more expensive than each of the standard network rail season tickets. (7 day, monthly, quarterly and annual)
When you make a few assumptions (only travelling M-F, there and back), you can see how much more you save by sticking with your normal season ticket:
Standard ticket price: £9.00
Metro 1-5 plus 7: £7.92 (weekly) saving 12%
National Rail Season Ticket: £7.54 (weekly) saving 16%
But only if commute to and from work. The benefits and costs depend on how often you travel and whether you will travel more because your season ticket allows to travel into other parts of West Yorkshire. (excluding Leeds).
So the advice would seem to be:
If you only commute Monday – Friday only as far as Leeds: stick with a national rail season ticket. (This also holds true even if you commute 7 days a week)
If you travel to Monday – Friday and travel further than Leeds (by train), then you will be better off with a MetroCard.
If you travel less than 5 days a week (say Monday – Thursday), buy you tickets each day. £9.00 (£9.43 with a season ticket).
If you change trains at Leeds and travel more than 3 days a week then a Metro Card is what you want.
EXCEPT: If you don’t travel through Leeds!
If you do not travel through Leeds, Don’t buy a MetroCard+7.
Skipton – Forster Square: £6.90 return
National Rail Season Ticket: £3.87 per day
MetroCard+7 Ticket: £7.92 per day.
Filed under: Skipton |
Bradford Rail Users Group 