Top tips to cut cost of rail fares

TWO people travelling together can enjoy a third off rail fares thanks to a new Two Together Railcard launched last week. The £30 card, which bears photos of the two passengers, allows discounts for off-peak travel after 9.30am in the week and all day at weekends.

The pair do not have to be family members, but it is only open to 16s and over.

Passengers aged between 16 and 25 can pay £30 for a 16-25 Railcard to cut off-peak travel costs by a third. Those aged 60 or over can get the same deal with a Senior Railcard, as can travellers with children who buy a Family & Friends Railcard.

For details call 08448 714036 or go to Railcard.co.uk. RAIL users can slash costs by split-ticketing – instead of buying one ticket you break the trip into cheaper sections.

Tickets for different legs can be bought at the station where you start. The train must stop at places mentioned on the tickets, but there is no need to get off. This approach can knock up to 40 per cent off a single rail fare. It can also provide savings for season ticket holders. The top savings are for long journeys.

Calculating savings can be difficult as different routes, times of travel and ticket types mean varying discount levels, and rail firms are keen to plug cost-saving anomalies. Websites such as faresaver.org and apps like TicketySplit can do the sums.