Getting to school in September - to buy a season train ticket, or not?

[HealingCalmingSoothing]

My child normally gets a train to school. We buy a season ticket and they walk at the other end through a major city.

We have the option to use a different method of transport share to avoid the train for the first term but we need to commit this week.

Im undecided. My question is - would you let your child catch a busy commuter train (with other students) to school come September?

Do we think while schools are open that a decent train service will be available?

Wow, that is quite a tough question! Do you buy monthly or longer? Because I would be wary of spending too much as if your school.closes or your child has to isolate, you might have paid for nothing?

Can you do it on a weekly or monthly basis and set it to auto-renew? Gives the option to cancel for school holidays/closures etc

My DS usually travels to school by train. I buy a season ticket that lasts for each half term. I'm planning on driving him come September and for the foreseeable future. The train is usually packed to the rafters and he has never had a seat on the morning journey in two years.

Thanks, yes weekly or monthly would be a good option.

The issue is that we need to commit to option B this week or that goes off the table. It is more expensive (about 30% more) but a guaranteed way of getting to school.

The school is independent and I think will be determined to remain open for as long as they can. So if the train services dwindle and the school stays open we would be a bit stuffed.

The alternative option is tied to the school and wouldnt normally be available in none covid times. So the school maybe is worried pupils wouldnt be able to get there using public transport.

It wouldnt be an option for me to drive the child to school and back daily.

If school stays open, the zoom calls and online learning that was fantastic all last term would obviously not be on the table.

So do we go with the guaranteed option at greater expense or risk them not being able to get there on the train / over crowded trains etc.

@TheWoollybacksWife Can i ask why you are driving them in now? Are you worried about them being exposed on the train or the train services not running as per normal?

My thoughts on the exposure is that some kids will presumably be on the train and so would be exposed. And my child would be mixing with them anyway even if they dont go on the train.

Its just annoying having to decide now.

@HealingCalmingSoothing it's more that I don't think the usual process will work - the train is absolutely rammed - no chance of being 1m+ between anyone never mind 2m social distancing. The usual set up is I drive him to our local station, he gets the train to the nearest station to school and then gets on the school minibus. There are multiple year groups involved and the school has indicated that there will be year group bubbles, so I'm assuming that there will be too many different groups of pupils to be safe on the minibus. Plus I've no idea about staggered starts and train timetables etc.

It's frustrating as it's only one stop on the train and the normal routine works perfectly and takes about 25 minutes. Driving takes about 45 minutes due to traffic 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks, yes that makes sense. Driving would take me about a 3-4 hour round trip twice a day, so thats a none starter for us unfortunately.

That puts my 45 minutes into perspective. Would option B offer a refund if the school closed and moved to distance learning if a lockdown was advised? If that was the case then I'd be inclined to go with it - it may not work out much more expensive than paying for a monthly season ticket.

You can always get a refund on a season ticket. I cashed in mine and DD's back in March with no problems.

We have no choice on train in September and ours is the busiest commuter train in the UK.

However, having taken it a couple of times in the last month, we were the only passengers in our carriage both times. I suspect the majority of people will continue to work from home for the foreseeable and so I don't think the train will be that busy.

I've also seen nothing on the trains/stations about social distancing or restrictions on numbers - only on mask wearing. I cannot see them restricting numbers travelling any time soon.

The most likely issue will be all the train companies going bust due to zero revenue.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow re train refund, yes that's fine but the other option would be off the table at that point so I would be driving all day there and back!

So they would be at home and if the school is open there would be no home lessons.

I chose to send them to this school knowing the logistics were never going to be easy but didn't figure on the pandemic throwing that curve ball in.

Presuming the school based option is a school bus or similar, I would probably go for that. It’s frustrating that it costs more, but the situation with trains could vary very quickly and without warning (see the proposed changes that didn’t happen last week) and just generally feels like it has the potential to cause you more life stress.

Just paid our sons yearly bus pass, just short of £400 I hope he gets use out of it... I could drive him in the mornings and drop middle child at primary on way back but it would mean us all having to leave house early and toddler prob having breakfast on the go which is not ideal. School pick ups would clash with both schools though so I'd then have to rely on middle child's friends parents walking back with him and potentially watching him for half hour until I got back from picking the oldest up. I'm a bit nervous of him getting the bus if it's going to be packed or reduced services but just to have to get on with it if possible!