A Disgraceful Admission...
Discussion
Last week, I threw caution to the wind and went on some Bransoid rolling stock to old London town.
It was bloody superb, getting me there in 2hrs15min and then, at Euston, easily finding my way to a black cab and flying in no time all over the river whilst hurling abuse at the myriad antipodeans masquerading as people, sipping coffee and doing no work at the economy's expense.
Indeed, I was back at the coal face by 1950hrs which compared to normal, is a time saving of approx 5 hours.
Which is why I've sent Red Ken a box of Milk Tray and my application form straight to Palin for a seat on the board of T2000.
Shocking, I know but a quite remarkable reality, all the same.
P.S. The capital really did look utterly fabulous, especially along the river near London Bridge, it made me quite glad to be British, albeit of a tenuous, oinkular sort.
It was bloody superb, getting me there in 2hrs15min and then, at Euston, easily finding my way to a black cab and flying in no time all over the river whilst hurling abuse at the myriad antipodeans masquerading as people, sipping coffee and doing no work at the economy's expense.
Indeed, I was back at the coal face by 1950hrs which compared to normal, is a time saving of approx 5 hours.
Which is why I've sent Red Ken a box of Milk Tray and my application form straight to Palin for a seat on the board of T2000.
Shocking, I know but a quite remarkable reality, all the same.
P.S. The capital really did look utterly fabulous, especially along the river near London Bridge, it made me quite glad to be British, albeit of a tenuous, oinkular sort.
I continue to travel by train to London, despite the jibes of certain fellow PHers...
But the maths of driving don't stack up. A saver return costs less than the fuel for the car, plus I can do a bit of work on the train (in theory- I always end up chatting to people or gazing out the window). And it takes less time, overall than driving. I've been stuck in M4 jams far more often than I've been stuck on late-running trains.
yertis said:
But the maths of driving don't stack up. A saver return costs less than the fuel for the car, plus I can do a bit of work on the train (in theory- I always end up chatting to people or gazing out the window). And it takes less time, overall than driving. I've been stuck in M4 jams far more often than I've been stuck on late-running trains.
If I lived outside of london, there's no doubt that I'd take the train, you can (if you get there early enough) get a seat, cup of tea, paper, maybe do some work, until you get there, adding an hour or so of work time.....
The problem comes when your journey is fragmented, by multiple changes, and then when one gets to London, faced with the f***ing underground....
968 said:
But the maths of driving don't stack up. A saver return costs less than the fuel for the car, plus I can do a bit of work on the train (in theory- I always end up chatting to people or gazing out the window). And it takes less time, overall than driving. I've been stuck in M4 jams far more often than I've been stuck on late-running trains.
If I lived outside of london, there's no doubt that I'd take the train, you can (if you get there early enough) get a seat, cup of tea, paper, maybe do some work, until you get there, adding an hour or so of work time.....
The problem comes when your journey is fragmented, by multiple changes, and then when one gets to London, faced with the f***ing underground....
Perhaps not living in London I'm spared the day to day horrors - I still enjoy getting the tube, too...
I agree changes are a PITA.
I don't think i'll ever drive to london from where I live (nottingham) again...very strange for me to admit this as I detest all forms of public transport 
the reason for this sea change is that I've just had a long weekend in london village for £20 return first class. beat that in a car journey of 240 miles round trip!
I booked the day before I travelled too, so no need to plan long term...and it was quite interesting relaxing with a bottle of chardonnay and the torygraph followed by dinner and coffee...I could go on...!
and there were no chavs causing trouble because there is a train manager that keeps them all down in standard! result!
so, I travelled in comfort whle being refreshed at my leisure as opposed to twice as long being stressed with the only chance of refreshment the occasional marlboro in a traffic jam..
>> Edited by minimax on Tuesday 25th October 15:53
the reason for this sea change is that I've just had a long weekend in london village for £20 return first class. beat that in a car journey of 240 miles round trip!
I booked the day before I travelled too, so no need to plan long term...and it was quite interesting relaxing with a bottle of chardonnay and the torygraph followed by dinner and coffee...I could go on...!
and there were no chavs causing trouble because there is a train manager that keeps them all down in standard! result!
so, I travelled in comfort whle being refreshed at my leisure as opposed to twice as long being stressed with the only chance of refreshment the occasional marlboro in a traffic jam..
>> Edited by minimax on Tuesday 25th October 15:53
yertis said:
But the maths of driving don't stack up. A saver return costs less than the fuel for the car, plus I can do a bit of work on the train (in theory- I always end up chatting to people or gazing out the window). And it takes less time, overall than driving. I've been stuck in M4 jams far more often than I've been stuck on late-running trains.
I get charged £90 a week for the pleasure of working in London - explain to me again how this is cheaper than a car (I work outside the congestion charging zone as well). I can drive to work in an hour - Train + tube = 1.5 hours if I get the right train.
yertis said:
But the maths of driving don't stack up. A saver return costs less than the fuel for the car, plus I can do a bit of work on the train (in theory- I always end up chatting to people or gazing out the window). And it takes less time, overall than driving. I've been stuck in M4 jams far more often than I've been stuck on late-running trains.
Yep, agree...
I am SW England too (where abouts do you start to get to London?). For me its now £80+ quid to travel at "rush hour" to London which makes a mockery of the supposed economies of scale....
I mean, I can take my gas-guzzling V6 to London and back for less than 1/2 a tank of fuel - all up costing about £25. And its not that I can get a seat on the train all of the time! Mind you, dont do it all of the time and when I do its on company expenses, either way it is easier and simpler on the train though - doesnt necessarily mean its worth the extra £55 though....
Apologies in advance..
Contrast that with my experience of trying to get to the NEC and return by train from Leicester.
Concert will be on a Friday night next month, a night when lots of people would need to get around I'd have thought?
NEC Arena, lots of other people wanting to go there (B'ham city centre near as dammit - major city)I'd have thought.
Can get there easily during the lateish afternoon, but getting back... not a hope in hell! Last train from NEC to Leicester.... 10.15pm! Next one 5am next day.
Who the hell decides on the timetables? They must know most events at NEC end around 10.30 - 11.00ish, but no public transport at all!
So the only option is to drive/leave early neither of which appeal given that a) tickets cost £30 why should I miss any of it and b) On a Friday night not having to go to work the following day I'd kinda like to have a couple of sherberts.
Public transport... PAH!
[/rant]
Contrast that with my experience of trying to get to the NEC and return by train from Leicester.
Concert will be on a Friday night next month, a night when lots of people would need to get around I'd have thought?
NEC Arena, lots of other people wanting to go there (B'ham city centre near as dammit - major city)I'd have thought.
Can get there easily during the lateish afternoon, but getting back... not a hope in hell! Last train from NEC to Leicester.... 10.15pm! Next one 5am next day.
Who the hell decides on the timetables? They must know most events at NEC end around 10.30 - 11.00ish, but no public transport at all!
So the only option is to drive/leave early neither of which appeal given that a) tickets cost £30 why should I miss any of it and b) On a Friday night not having to go to work the following day I'd kinda like to have a couple of sherberts.
Public transport... PAH!
[/rant]
London’s a special case. I’d always take the train. As long as you’re travelling in from a decent size town and want to get to somewhere that’s in zone 1 or 2 on the tube you’ll usually be OK.
The bugger is when you want to get from one point in the South East to another. You’re more often that not condemned to going into London and then back out again. Usually via two different terminals. Which usually means at least an hour connecting between terminals. I’ve commuted from Brighton to Woking, Brighton to Hook and have done Brighton to Maidenhead several times and it’s a bloody nightmare. Assuming every thing runs on time you’re looking at minimum 3 hours for a 1:15 car journey.
The bugger is when you want to get from one point in the South East to another. You’re more often that not condemned to going into London and then back out again. Usually via two different terminals. Which usually means at least an hour connecting between terminals. I’ve commuted from Brighton to Woking, Brighton to Hook and have done Brighton to Maidenhead several times and it’s a bloody nightmare. Assuming every thing runs on time you’re looking at minimum 3 hours for a 1:15 car journey.
I've been getting the train every single work day for the last 20 months.
About one train in 5 is on time, and they pad the time table by five minutes every 6 months or so - when I started, I was told it'd be 1:05 on the train, now it's 1:17.
It also costs me 6200 a year for the ticket, and 450 a year for parking at the station... Admittedly this is much cheaper than driving to London every day, but at least I could be in a car, without having to sit next to Mrs Overweight Yank, or Young-Mother with Out-Of-Control child every
day 
About one train in 5 is on time, and they pad the time table by five minutes every 6 months or so - when I started, I was told it'd be 1:05 on the train, now it's 1:17.
It also costs me 6200 a year for the ticket, and 450 a year for parking at the station... Admittedly this is much cheaper than driving to London every day, but at least I could be in a car, without having to sit next to Mrs Overweight Yank, or Young-Mother with Out-Of-Control child every
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