6 January 2026

Agenda

1. Upcoming trip(s) using the Rail Sale

Introduction

• Meeting starts at 15:03.
• The committee would like to run a 'big trip' in March, much like the trip to Inverness in 2025, and the Rail Sale presents a good opportunity to get to further-away destinations for less.
• The goals of the meeting are to assess whether there are any feasible destinations (in terms of cost and practicalities), when to hold the trip, and how tickets should be offered (i.e., tell members to book before the sale ends, or to front the cost and recoup via our EUSA page).
• EUSA funding was not secured for this year's big trip, so tickets will not be subsidised.

Rail Sale trip

• Rail Sale fares offer a discount of up to 50% on Advance tickets. Off-peak tickets are discounted where Advance tickets are not generally available.
  • They cannot be used in conjunction with Railcard discounts, but this does mean tickets can be bought in advance without knowing how many members have what Railcard.
• Liam researched potential options prior to the meeting:
  • York is not feasible, with fares costing a minimum of £33 return with the sale.
  • There are Rail Sale tickets to stations around the Lake District (Penrith North Lakes, Windermere, Oxenholme) for under £20 return.
• The committee decided that a weekend would be preferable.
  • Flexible Learning Week was considered, but wasn't considered ideal as many students leave Edinburgh during this week. If we were going to do the trip during FLW, Monday or Friday would be better, and Tuesday to Thursday should be avoided.
• The committee decided to front the cost of the tickets and make them available to members via the society EUSA page.
  • The sale is time-limited, so this allows us to preserve the reduced fares for members.
  • The upfront amount will be paid by a committee member who will be reimbursed from the society's funds after the tickets have been sold.
  • Nine tickets can be purchased per booking, so the committee decided to make two bookings and buy 18 tickets for members. These tickets don't include committee, who will purchase their tickets separately, ideally while the sale is ongoing.
• A trip to the Lake District (Penrith, Windermere, Oxenholme and buses) was not workable with the Rail Sale.
  • Rail Sale fares are only available for a select few services each day. On most weekends the only discounted outbound train was a ~6 am service. On the couple of days where a ~8 am service was discounted, there was not a discounted train back until late in the evening, well after sunset.
  • The committee still liked the idea, and may come back to it in the future, as other than pricing it would have been easy to get to and made for a good day out. Bus fares are capped in England at £3, and there are regular bus connections (hourly or half-hourly) on weekends to get from stations to destinations in the Lake District.
• Other destinations were considered.
  • The Cumbrian Coast Line was noted. However, there are ongoing engineering works and disruption on the line.
  • Carlisle was noted, but the committee was concerned that it might not have enough appeal for the annual big trip.
  • The committee agreed that North Berwick would be the January trip.
• Newcastle was decided as the destination for the March big trip.
  • Rail Sale tickets can be purchased for £8.40 return, which represents big savings on the usual Advance and walk-up fares. This also reduces the financial burden on the committee member fronting the cost.
  • The committee noted the variety of things to do in the city. For enthusiasts, particularly the Tyne and Wear Metro, with all zone day tickets costing ~£7. But there is also lots to do for non-enthusiasts.
  • The timing of Rail Sale services was convenient on Saturdays, with an outbound just after 9 am and a return at 6:15 pm.
  • 14 March 2026 was selected as the date for the trip. This is a Saturday and close to the same time as the big trip last year.
• Seb purchased 18 Rail Sale tickets. Liam volunteered to front the cost and would transfer Seb the money after the meeting ended.
  • Additionally, Seb purchased three tickets for himself, Liam, and Will, who were still present at the end of the meeting. Liam and Will would transfer Seb £8.40 for their tickets after the meeting ended.
• The February trip will be decided later in the month.
• The meeting ends at 17:00.

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