Let the train take the strain.. why?
Discussion
So, two of us need to go from the Midlands to London later this month, so I thought I'd look at the cost to get the train as it's easier for us, and I thought it might work out more cost effective.
How wrong could I be!
A 200 mile return journey would cost £93 each, and that is with timed tickets so no flexibility. Obviously it costs a lot less if we travel down and back off-peak.
Now fine, peak costs more, that makes sense, but why in gods name would we spend nearly £200 to get 2 of us to London and back when we can drive to work as normal (just earlier), and take a pool car down to Stanmore or an "end of tube" station, park up, and get the tube in for probably a quarter of that cost all-in?
It seems absurd.
How wrong could I be!
A 200 mile return journey would cost £93 each, and that is with timed tickets so no flexibility. Obviously it costs a lot less if we travel down and back off-peak.
Now fine, peak costs more, that makes sense, but why in gods name would we spend nearly £200 to get 2 of us to London and back when we can drive to work as normal (just earlier), and take a pool car down to Stanmore or an "end of tube" station, park up, and get the tube in for probably a quarter of that cost all-in?
It seems absurd.
There are many people who commute into London using season tickets paid for by their company/government department, or even by themselves. They take up most of the seats, and get a pretty good rate (compared to the cost of getting into central London by car), but that means there are very few available seats on rush hour trains. Simple supply and demand really.
It's utter dross. Unless you're going between 2 points on a mainline it's an expensive way to get there slower. This weekend I went to stay with a friend in Lytham St. Annes, I live near Durham.
Train doesn't stop at my local until hours after I want to leave, so £10 taxi to a bigger station (Durham), then £78 quid to Preston, changing at York. 3.5 hours later I arrive in Preston (ye gods what a hole of a station it is) after a long ride on a very slow, very uncomfortable train which made airline seats look roomy, catching another train to my friend's local station (think it was 5 quid or something) along the blackpool south line. I swear by the end of it I felt like I'd been on a whirlwind tour of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Total journey time - 5 hours or thereabouts, and I felt knackered by the time I got there.
Last time I did the journey it took around 2 hours by motorbike, and I got to see some nice scenery and it cost me a damn sight less, and I was far more comfortable, which says a lot as I was on a Ducati.
They can kiss my fat white ass if they think I'm giving up my vehicles to take the loser cruiser. Unless it's a mainline train (which to their credit aren't anywhere near as tragic) into London or something, I don't see the point. Horrible way to travel.
Train doesn't stop at my local until hours after I want to leave, so £10 taxi to a bigger station (Durham), then £78 quid to Preston, changing at York. 3.5 hours later I arrive in Preston (ye gods what a hole of a station it is) after a long ride on a very slow, very uncomfortable train which made airline seats look roomy, catching another train to my friend's local station (think it was 5 quid or something) along the blackpool south line. I swear by the end of it I felt like I'd been on a whirlwind tour of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Total journey time - 5 hours or thereabouts, and I felt knackered by the time I got there.
Last time I did the journey it took around 2 hours by motorbike, and I got to see some nice scenery and it cost me a damn sight less, and I was far more comfortable, which says a lot as I was on a Ducati.
They can kiss my fat white ass if they think I'm giving up my vehicles to take the loser cruiser. Unless it's a mainline train (which to their credit aren't anywhere near as tragic) into London or something, I don't see the point. Horrible way to travel.
Stu R said:
It's utter dross. Unless you're going between 2 points on a mainline it's an expensive way to get there slower. This weekend I went to stay with a friend in Lytham St. Annes, I live near Durham.
Train doesn't stop at my local until hours after I want to leave, so £10 taxi to a bigger station (Durham), then £78 quid to Preston, changing at York. 3.5 hours later I arrive in Preston (ye gods what a hole of a station it is) after a long ride on a very slow, very uncomfortable train which made airline seats look roomy, catching another train to my friend's local station (think it was 5 quid or something) along the blackpool south line. I swear by the end of it I felt like I'd been on a whirlwind tour of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Total journey time - 5 hours or thereabouts, and I felt knackered by the time I got there.
Last time I did the journey it took around 2 hours by motorbike, and I got to see some nice scenery and it cost me a damn sight less, and I was far more comfortable, which says a lot as I was on a Ducati.
They can kiss my fat white ass if they think I'm giving up my vehicles to take the loser cruiser. Unless it's a mainline train (which to their credit aren't anywhere near as tragic) into London or something, I don't see the point. Horrible way to travel.
From my local train station to Paddington is an hour and 20 minutes, it's more like 2 and a half by car and tube to central London. If I book in advance and travel off peak it's £22 return, which is about half as much as I would pay in my car. In addition the train has plugs at every seat so I can run my laptop or charge my phone, and there's also a bar. My car has none of those. Train doesn't stop at my local until hours after I want to leave, so £10 taxi to a bigger station (Durham), then £78 quid to Preston, changing at York. 3.5 hours later I arrive in Preston (ye gods what a hole of a station it is) after a long ride on a very slow, very uncomfortable train which made airline seats look roomy, catching another train to my friend's local station (think it was 5 quid or something) along the blackpool south line. I swear by the end of it I felt like I'd been on a whirlwind tour of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Total journey time - 5 hours or thereabouts, and I felt knackered by the time I got there.
Last time I did the journey it took around 2 hours by motorbike, and I got to see some nice scenery and it cost me a damn sight less, and I was far more comfortable, which says a lot as I was on a Ducati.
They can kiss my fat white ass if they think I'm giving up my vehicles to take the loser cruiser. Unless it's a mainline train (which to their credit aren't anywhere near as tragic) into London or something, I don't see the point. Horrible way to travel.
davepoth said:
From my local train station to Paddington is an hour and 20 minutes, it's more like 2 and a half by car and tube to central London. If I book in advance and travel off peak it's £22 return, which is about half as much as I would pay in my car. In addition the train has plugs at every seat so I can run my laptop or charge my phone, and there's also a bar. My car has none of those.
It's £18 return on the slow train, off-peak. That doesn't tie in with the times we want/need though. I expect to pay a premium for peak, just not a 5x one.paddyhasneeds said:
It's £18 return on the slow train, off-peak. That doesn't tie in with the times we want/need though. I expect to pay a premium for peak, just not a 5x one.
Not London, but it's a similar setup.
Look at the difference in passenger numbers during the rush hour. About 4.5 times the number at off peak times.
A while back, I investigated going Darlington-Bristol return, booked well in advance. It came out at £300. Each.
It's a tank and a bit of fuel for the round trip, so even now with the idiotically high fuel prices, that's about £110.
I just did it again on The Train Line Dot Con.
Cheapest (repeat, cheapest, trans: least convenient) return is £200. Each.
f
k that for a game of soldiers.
It's a tank and a bit of fuel for the round trip, so even now with the idiotically high fuel prices, that's about £110.
I just did it again on The Train Line Dot Con.
Cheapest (repeat, cheapest, trans: least convenient) return is £200. Each.
f
k that for a game of soldiers.davepoth said:
Stu R said:
It's utter dross. Unless you're going between 2 points on a mainline it's an expensive way to get there slower. This weekend I went to stay with a friend in Lytham St. Annes, I live near Durham.
Train doesn't stop at my local until hours after I want to leave, so £10 taxi to a bigger station (Durham), then £78 quid to Preston, changing at York. 3.5 hours later I arrive in Preston (ye gods what a hole of a station it is) after a long ride on a very slow, very uncomfortable train which made airline seats look roomy, catching another train to my friend's local station (think it was 5 quid or something) along the blackpool south line. I swear by the end of it I felt like I'd been on a whirlwind tour of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Total journey time - 5 hours or thereabouts, and I felt knackered by the time I got there.
Last time I did the journey it took around 2 hours by motorbike, and I got to see some nice scenery and it cost me a damn sight less, and I was far more comfortable, which says a lot as I was on a Ducati.
They can kiss my fat white ass if they think I'm giving up my vehicles to take the loser cruiser. Unless it's a mainline train (which to their credit aren't anywhere near as tragic) into London or something, I don't see the point. Horrible way to travel.
From my local train station to Paddington is an hour and 20 minutes, it's more like 2 and a half by car and tube to central London. If I book in advance and travel off peak it's £22 return, which is about half as much as I would pay in my car. In addition the train has plugs at every seat so I can run my laptop or charge my phone, and there's also a bar. My car has none of those. Train doesn't stop at my local until hours after I want to leave, so £10 taxi to a bigger station (Durham), then £78 quid to Preston, changing at York. 3.5 hours later I arrive in Preston (ye gods what a hole of a station it is) after a long ride on a very slow, very uncomfortable train which made airline seats look roomy, catching another train to my friend's local station (think it was 5 quid or something) along the blackpool south line. I swear by the end of it I felt like I'd been on a whirlwind tour of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Total journey time - 5 hours or thereabouts, and I felt knackered by the time I got there.
Last time I did the journey it took around 2 hours by motorbike, and I got to see some nice scenery and it cost me a damn sight less, and I was far more comfortable, which says a lot as I was on a Ducati.
They can kiss my fat white ass if they think I'm giving up my vehicles to take the loser cruiser. Unless it's a mainline train (which to their credit aren't anywhere near as tragic) into London or something, I don't see the point. Horrible way to travel.
Where in the Midlands? Train line shows £74.50 each way from Bham New Street on an advance ticket. Anytime from Evesham will cost you £63 return, Return from Warwick is £85 and £35 off peak ie after 8am.
I use trains all the time, especially for going into London which is a pain any other way.
I use trains all the time, especially for going into London which is a pain any other way.
davepoth said:
Stu R said:
It's utter dross. Unless you're going between 2 points on a mainline it's an expensive way to get there slower. This weekend I went to stay with a friend in Lytham St. Annes, I live near Durham.
Train doesn't stop at my local until hours after I want to leave, so £10 taxi to a bigger station (Durham), then £78 quid to Preston, changing at York. 3.5 hours later I arrive in Preston (ye gods what a hole of a station it is) after a long ride on a very slow, very uncomfortable train which made airline seats look roomy, catching another train to my friend's local station (think it was 5 quid or something) along the blackpool south line. I swear by the end of it I felt like I'd been on a whirlwind tour of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Total journey time - 5 hours or thereabouts, and I felt knackered by the time I got there.
Last time I did the journey it took around 2 hours by motorbike, and I got to see some nice scenery and it cost me a damn sight less, and I was far more comfortable, which says a lot as I was on a Ducati.
They can kiss my fat white ass if they think I'm giving up my vehicles to take the loser cruiser. Unless it's a mainline train (which to their credit aren't anywhere near as tragic) into London or something, I don't see the point. Horrible way to travel.
From my local train station to Paddington is an hour and 20 minutes, it's more like 2 and a half by car and tube to central London. If I book in advance and travel off peak it's £22 return, which is about half as much as I would pay in my car. In addition the train has plugs at every seat so I can run my laptop or charge my phone, and there's also a bar. My car has none of those. Train doesn't stop at my local until hours after I want to leave, so £10 taxi to a bigger station (Durham), then £78 quid to Preston, changing at York. 3.5 hours later I arrive in Preston (ye gods what a hole of a station it is) after a long ride on a very slow, very uncomfortable train which made airline seats look roomy, catching another train to my friend's local station (think it was 5 quid or something) along the blackpool south line. I swear by the end of it I felt like I'd been on a whirlwind tour of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Total journey time - 5 hours or thereabouts, and I felt knackered by the time I got there.
Last time I did the journey it took around 2 hours by motorbike, and I got to see some nice scenery and it cost me a damn sight less, and I was far more comfortable, which says a lot as I was on a Ducati.
They can kiss my fat white ass if they think I'm giving up my vehicles to take the loser cruiser. Unless it's a mainline train (which to their credit aren't anywhere near as tragic) into London or something, I don't see the point. Horrible way to travel.
I use the train regularly when delivering cars all over the UK. With a little time spent on the National Rail website I can almost always save considerably on the quoted prices:
- Try to book in advance, the earlier the better.
- Never ever "cross book". If your journey involves using 2 or more different rail operators then book each part of the journey separately (it's amazing how much this can save).
- If possible travel off peak.
- To avoid the drunks/scroats/children always book the Quiet Coach.
Just booked a trip back from Liverpool to home for £15 on Monday. Other option was to take a chase car & driver which would have been 6 hours of his time & £70 petrol, so I think the train is a bargain!!
- Try to book in advance, the earlier the better.
- Never ever "cross book". If your journey involves using 2 or more different rail operators then book each part of the journey separately (it's amazing how much this can save).
- If possible travel off peak.
- To avoid the drunks/scroats/children always book the Quiet Coach.
Just booked a trip back from Liverpool to home for £15 on Monday. Other option was to take a chase car & driver which would have been 6 hours of his time & £70 petrol, so I think the train is a bargain!!
davepoth said:
In addition the train has plugs at every seat so I can run my laptop or charge my phone, and there's also a bar. My car has none of those.
I you do fit a bar to the car one day I can recommend a few extra cup holders, and a pint-glass sized lid for those stop-start journeys.Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff