Rip-off train tickets

Author
Discussion

Dr KT

Original Poster:

398 posts

208 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
Hi All,

How on earth do people expect us to stop using our cars when the cost of train ticket is so high?

For myself and my wife to head up to my parents house, from London Kings Cross to Darlington will cost £201.50 on a super off-peak ticket, leaving London at 11pm (!).

No doubt booking three months in advance will make it affordable, but life is a little difficult to plan so far ahead, and boring.

I hate driving up and down the M1/A1 with the traffic jams, chaning speed limits with cameras, however I refuse to pay the silly amounts, and will stick to my car.

Anyone else find this?

KT

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

204 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
Dr KT said:
Hi All,

How on earth do people expect us to stop using our cars when the cost of train ticket is so high?

For myself and my wife to head up to my parents house, from London Kings Cross to Darlington will cost £201.50 on a super off-peak ticket, leaving London at 11pm (!).

No doubt booking three months in advance will make it affordable, but life is a little difficult to plan so far ahead, and boring.

I hate driving up and down the M1/A1 with the traffic jams, chaning speed limits with cameras, however I refuse to pay the silly amounts, and will stick to my car.

Anyone else find this?

KT
At that price why don't you fly into Teesside Airport and get your parents to collect you.

GreigM

6,739 posts

255 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
I needed to go from Glasgow to London on Friday last week, me and the mrs. Cost on the train (booking 1 week in advance) = £170 each - then more taxis/trains etc to get to the final destination. One-way car hire = £53, fuel = £45. So about a third of the price to rent and drive......even flying was cheaper than the train.

blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

238 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
It drives me up the wall. fking ridiculous.
I was heartened to noticed Virgin Rail sales declining.
I hate this bks that they all do where a single is 1p cheaper than a return? WHat in ing hell is all that about?
Most times I catch the train it is one way (buying a car/motorbike/meeting familyu on holiday after work etc etc) thus I pay double for being such a tosser wanting a single.
Last three trips on train:
One way Bodmin from London £95
One way Newcastle from London £100
One way South Wales from London £89

YOu can fly to anywhere in Europe for comfortably cheaper than that.
Trains

andy400

10,728 posts

237 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
There is no viable alternative to driving and car ownership, unless you happen to live in Central London and only want to visit places in Central London.

funkyol

1,816 posts

225 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
Yep, ridiculous isn't it?

Me and my o/h went for an overnight stay in London on Saturday. From Basingstoke for the two of us to go on the train, come back the next day and use tube it worked out at £68. Or, to drive - about a tenner in petrol and £30 to park overnight right outside our hotel - and this was near Oxford street too, not some out of town area.

Dr KT

Original Poster:

398 posts

208 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
rhinochopig said:
Dr KT said:
Hi All,
At that price why don't you fly into Teesside Airport and get your parents to collect you.
Hmmmmm....

tamore

7,782 posts

290 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
Dr KT said:
Hi All,

How on earth do people expect us to stop using our cars when the cost of train ticket is so high?

For myself and my wife to head up to my parents house, from London Kings Cross to Darlington will cost £201.50 on a super off-peak ticket, leaving London at 11pm (!).

No doubt booking three months in advance will make it affordable, but life is a little difficult to plan so far ahead, and boring.

I hate driving up and down the M1/A1 with the traffic jams, chaning speed limits with cameras, however I refuse to pay the silly amounts, and will stick to my car.

Anyone else find this?

KT
yep. my dad lives near barnard castle. i wouldn't mind paying the train fare if it included a train from darlo to somewhere near him, but all the old local lines were closed so i can only get a train to within 30 miles of his house.

Dr KT

Original Poster:

398 posts

208 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
Flight is £372.00 for both of us.

Sticking to motoring, being in traffic jams, and random speed limits.

Yertis

18,591 posts

272 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
I've alway tried to use trains where I can but even driving a Monaro I can get to central London, park for about a million pounds an hour, and drive home whenever I like at less cost than taking the train. It's more comfortable than the train too, which is nuts. And I get home quicker.

BBS-LM

3,978 posts

230 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
When I pick up my new car in Essex about three years ago the journey took me 3 hours to get there. The drive home took 50-min. and was £20 cheaper.

andy400

10,728 posts

237 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
It's not just long-distance and not just trains either. Where I live, I can drive into town (6 miles away), park for the whole day, drive home again all for less than a single bus ticket. And my car is hardly economical.

cpl_payne

565 posts

189 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
andy400 said:
There is no viable alternative to driving and car ownership, unless you happen to live in Central London and only want to visit places in Central London.
Amen. Oh, the alternative is a motorbike, whether it's viable or suicidal is open to discussion smile

I HATE BLOODY TRAIN TICKET PRICES! As much pain as car ownership can sometimes be it's still better than being held ransom by bloody FirstCapitalDisconnect&Co!

...and breathe...

lawrence567

7,507 posts

196 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
Just book in advance.
I did & can go from Newton Abbot to London for £35 return.

ipitythefool

12,832 posts

254 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
I regularly travel to Coventry for work from my central London office.

By train, door to door is about 1hr 30 mins and with a few days notice the fare will be about £60 return.

By car it would take about 3 hours if lucky. Car rental would be £50 plus congestion charge (£8) plus fuel of about £25.

russ_a

4,662 posts

217 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
what gets me is how it is cheaper to buy two singles rather than a return.

fatboy b

9,569 posts

222 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
blindswelledrat said:
It drives me up the wall. fking ridiculous.
I was heartened to noticed Virgin Rail sales declining.
I hate this bks that they all do where a single is 1p cheaper than a return? WHat in ing hell is all that about?
Most times I catch the train it is one way (buying a car/motorbike/meeting familyu on holiday after work etc etc) thus I pay double for being such a tosser wanting a single.
Last three trips on train:
One way Bodmin from London £95
One way Newcastle from London £100
One way South Wales from London £89

YOu can fly to anywhere in Europe for comfortably cheaper than that.
Trains
And you tend to get a seat too!

mouseymousey

2,641 posts

243 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
Have you tried looking at 2 single fares?

When travelling to Cheltenham from London last week the advance return fare was £47, luckily we realised we could get 2 first class singles cheaper than the standard return (£22.50 each way).

Personally I don't think buying a train ticket should be that difficult, you say where you want to travel to and from and the system should spit out the cheapest option.


uuf361

3,155 posts

228 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
I needed to get to Luton this morning......train fare £54 return (it's a 75 miles journey) eek

My car is currently sat outside the office in the car park, and took about 40 mins less time too!

Dr Imran T

2,301 posts

205 months

Tuesday 17th March 2009
quotequote all
Agreed, train tickets are a total rip-off:

Yarm - Leeds off peak £33.60

I also saw a ticket from darlington to Kings cross for £300+

who are they trying to kid?

They service is rubbish too, and the trains are too slow in this country.. I am sticking to driving for sure.