Why is train travel in the UK so expensive.
Discussion
Cannot understand the prices quoted for a one off journey!!
This october myself the missus and 2 kids fancy a trip to the Blackpool illuminations midweek for 2 nights.
Normally I'd drive from Essex to Blackpool..not a problem.
Out of curiosity and to make it more interesting for the kids..thought I would see what the trains cost.
Well blow me £260 for a family of 4 return ticket..All this talk of being Green and getting people out of cars and on to public transport..Not at those prices!!
Looks like the cars having a road trip.
This october myself the missus and 2 kids fancy a trip to the Blackpool illuminations midweek for 2 nights.
Normally I'd drive from Essex to Blackpool..not a problem.
Out of curiosity and to make it more interesting for the kids..thought I would see what the trains cost.
Well blow me £260 for a family of 4 return ticket..All this talk of being Green and getting people out of cars and on to public transport..Not at those prices!!
Looks like the cars having a road trip.
ive just booked a return ticket from manchester to Leicster £8.50 each way, now considering i drive a thirsty v8 that wouldnt even get 10 miles on £8.50 that to me is a bargain, £17 return when to drive would cost just over £100.
last month one way to Pembrey from manchester £32 admitedly it took 6 hours and i wanted to kill myself but a massive saving on a car
last month one way to Pembrey from manchester £32 admitedly it took 6 hours and i wanted to kill myself but a massive saving on a car
It's now cheaper for me/my company for me to drive to central London including paying the congestion charge, and it takes me roughly the same time.
Driving I leave about 0800 arrive in Central London about 1000-1030, walk maybe 50 yards to the office. Cost including congestion charge £35.
Public Transport, I'd have to drive to the station (buses too infrequent), then pay to park all day, train to Waterloo, then 10 minutes or so walk - get to office about 1030 because I get the off-peak fare to save money - total cost about £45 - up to maybe £75 if peak.
In the car I can do calls (no Vodafone signal on the Waterloo line from here), listen to what I want and not have to endure "I'M ON THE TRAIN!"
Also I hear Waterloo was a bit chaotic Monday because of platform closures due to the heat and the rails buckling. Then you can't go in Autumn because of the leaves or the winter because of the snow.
Terrible really, Public Transport should encourage users not make it better to drive.
Driving I leave about 0800 arrive in Central London about 1000-1030, walk maybe 50 yards to the office. Cost including congestion charge £35.
Public Transport, I'd have to drive to the station (buses too infrequent), then pay to park all day, train to Waterloo, then 10 minutes or so walk - get to office about 1030 because I get the off-peak fare to save money - total cost about £45 - up to maybe £75 if peak.
In the car I can do calls (no Vodafone signal on the Waterloo line from here), listen to what I want and not have to endure "I'M ON THE TRAIN!"
Also I hear Waterloo was a bit chaotic Monday because of platform closures due to the heat and the rails buckling. Then you can't go in Autumn because of the leaves or the winter because of the snow.
Terrible really, Public Transport should encourage users not make it better to drive.
taylor172 said:
WeirdNeville said:
Tyre Smoke said:
Train travel is not expensive, well not always.
I can travel the return distance of 110 miles from Tiverton Parkway to Plymouth with my son on any given Saturday for £8.05 for a return ticket. First Class is 'only' £24.00 To take a car would be the same as first class.
But that's very selective. I agree there is some cheap train travel, which I guess is partly subsidised by the expensive train travel. Such as getting into London. My last annual train ticket was £4700 and that doesn't include parking (would be about £1k). That is a heck of a lot of money to come out of a persons Net pay.I can travel the return distance of 110 miles from Tiverton Parkway to Plymouth with my son on any given Saturday for £8.05 for a return ticket. First Class is 'only' £24.00 To take a car would be the same as first class.
To put it in perspective, you could do 12,000 a year in something averaging 16mpg (classic muscle car) for slightly less money and still be able to pay for parking.
Efbe said:
but why the illuminations in blackpool?
it's a bloody long way to go for a (probably) wet, chav infested, scumhole with a few lights.
Driving will take around 4 and a half hours, going past london, so maybe more.
you could be doing so much better things with your time!
True..it'll be a one off..It can be a bit cheesey but the kids are roller coaster fans and not been to the pleasure beach before.it's a bloody long way to go for a (probably) wet, chav infested, scumhole with a few lights.
Driving will take around 4 and a half hours, going past london, so maybe more.
you could be doing so much better things with your time!
Deanno1dad said:
Efbe said:
but why the illuminations in blackpool?
it's a bloody long way to go for a (probably) wet, chav infested, scumhole with a few lights.
Driving will take around 4 and a half hours, going past london, so maybe more.
you could be doing so much better things with your time!
True..it'll be a one off..It can be a bit cheesey but the kids are roller coaster fans and not been to the pleasure beach before.it's a bloody long way to go for a (probably) wet, chav infested, scumhole with a few lights.
Driving will take around 4 and a half hours, going past london, so maybe more.
you could be doing so much better things with your time!
We always used to go visit blackpool illuminations, but it has been getting a lot worse recently. the seafront is now exclusively stag/hen do country.
Efbe said:
Deanno1dad said:
Efbe said:
but why the illuminations in blackpool?
it's a bloody long way to go for a (probably) wet, chav infested, scumhole with a few lights.
Driving will take around 4 and a half hours, going past london, so maybe more.
you could be doing so much better things with your time!
True..it'll be a one off..It can be a bit cheesey but the kids are roller coaster fans and not been to the pleasure beach before.it's a bloody long way to go for a (probably) wet, chav infested, scumhole with a few lights.
Driving will take around 4 and a half hours, going past london, so maybe more.
you could be doing so much better things with your time!
We always used to go visit blackpool illuminations, but it has been getting a lot worse recently. the seafront is now exclusively stag/hen do country.
We'd planned to spend the entire day in Blackpool, after about an hour or so and both coming to the conclusion that it was a grotty, 3rd world looking shabby and generally unpleasant part of the UK, we promptly left and headed to the Dales.
Ultimately it's usually not economical in the grand scale of things regardless of the country, although it CAN be convenient. Hence flights or car travel work cheaper, it would do even more if the taxation of fuels was equalised, but this would be politically unacceptable in a modern socialistic country (majority of the democratic developed world).
A bit off topic, but why is the Hong Kong metro so cheap, with their property and wages comparable to London?
A bit off topic, but why is the Hong Kong metro so cheap, with their property and wages comparable to London?
chris7676 said:
Ultimately it's usually not economical in the grand scale of things regardless of the country, although it CAN be convenient. Hence flights or car travel work cheaper, it would do even more if the taxation of fuels was equalised, but this would be politically unacceptable in a modern socialistic country (majority of the democratic developed world).
A bit off topic, but why is the Hong Kong metro so cheap, with their property and wages comparable to London?
something about it here:A bit off topic, but why is the Hong Kong metro so cheap, with their property and wages comparable to London?
http://pedestrianobservations.wordpress.com/2011/0...
I assume it's just not run by self-serving bureaucratic ass-hats handing out contracts to the cheapest party irrespective of whether they achieve the goals and costs they promise! It will get me into trouble saying this on PH, but capitalism only works when the companies give a monkeys about what they are doing and not just personal profits!
TwigtheWonderkid said:
I just bought my wife and son return tickets from London Liverpool St to Sheringham in N. Norfolk. Total cost, £25.50 inc £1.50 booking fee.
That's £8 each way for her and £4 each way for him. Mindblowingly cheap I think.
it's a good point.That's £8 each way for her and £4 each way for him. Mindblowingly cheap I think.
OP does megabus cover any of your route? (they do trains as well!)
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