Evil Trains

Nitefly

Nitefly

Nitefly

Man of Honour
Joined
24 Sep 2005
Posts
37,374
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13446824

I just saw this headline on the BBC and had to laugh, they needed a report to show that? :p

Every time I have to get on a train I feel like I'm being violated. It is insanely expensive to travel by train. Absolutely ridiculous! I'm surprised they haven't started offering mortgage packages to pay for tickets.

For example, one day I needed to go into London from Bristol for an interview with little notice, and was charged over £120 for the privilege - no doubt it's ever more expensive now :eek:

If there is more than two of you, it's almost cheaper to get a taxi to London from Bristol than go on a train. Again, it's just insane. The only way travelling by train can be remotely construed as being reasonable is if you book your ticket for 8 months time and want to travel in the evening. I'd rather pay less money in petrol and go by car, thanks!

Any one else hate trains? :p
 
I regularly go to London and booking tickets a week or so in advance is never more than £50-80. I consider that good value.

I dislike buses much more: £1.90 - for 1km? **** off I'll walk.
 
meghatronic said:
I regularly go to London and booking tickets a week or so in advance is never more than £50-80. I consider that good value.

I dislike buses much more: £1.90 - for 1km? **** off I'll walk.
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In Edinburgh the buses are dirt cheap. £1.30 for a single no matter how far and £3.20 for an all day ticket.
 
I am maybe going to Dorset to visit some friends this summer and I thought it wouldn't be that expensive on the train if I booked in advance, I had a quick search and found that it would cost me 120 quid for a open return!!

I then looked how much it would cost if I went with national express: 15 quid return and the journey only taking 1 hour longer than the train (obviously it may be longer due to traffic etc).

I also dislike how they have the peak hours in the morning so people that are going to work have to fork out a quid or two more and then they only provide two carriages and pack as many people in to them as possible.

/rant
 
Was looking at train prices this morning from Sheffield to Newquay, £270 :o, by comparison we could fly on the same date for just 80!
 
Or just book your ticket the dat before and get it for around £30... :p

But yeah train tickets can always be cheaper.

EDIT: £120... how? I've just looked and to depart in an hour it costs £50 return from Temple Meads - Paddington and for peak tomorrow there's not that much difference. Hey, first class return is only £160!
 
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Bear said:
In Edinburgh the buses are dirt cheap. £1.30 for a single no matter how far and £3.20 for an all day ticket.
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In most places they are like that, I once went halfway across Cornwall for £5... Problem is there's no point charging 20p for a km, there has to be a minimum fare and that's when the issue strikes. If you're too lazy to walk 1000m then you really ought to be forced to pay that :p
 
Train tickets do take the **** I have to agree, even with my 16-25 railcard and the insane petrol prices these days it's often cheaper to drive...
 
Ive always had terrible service on the few times ive used trains in the UK. Having just spent 2 weeks in Japan using various rail systems everyday, we have a long long way to go, the service there is unbelievably good.
 
Amp34 said:
Or just book your ticket the dat before and get it for around £30... :p

But yeah train tickets can always be cheaper.

EDIT: £120... how? I've just looked and to depart in an hour it costs £50 return from Temple Meads - Paddington and for peak tomorrow there's not that much difference. Hey, first class return is only £160!
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Because I left before 7am to get to the interview on time, like anyone with a brain would :p

Check the peak hour ticket prices. When I'm looking to book a return to get to London from Bristol for 9am tomorrow and getting back at 6pm, it's asking for £169!!!! A bit of fiddling and it's £100.

Not everyone has the luxury of knowing where they are going to be. Booking the day before tends to make no difference.
 
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Haha, I put in leaving at 8am... An hour late apparently. That is pretty mental though, leave half an hour later and it costs £100 less for that trip...

EDIT: 8.30 is £65 return...;)

And The train leaving at 9am from temple meads is £65 as well (as very other train after)...

EDIT 2: I lie, they are actually only £59 return for after 8:30 tomorrow morning, and less than £50 return after 10... Still doesn't excuse the shocking peak time price though.
 
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Amp34 said:
In most places they are like that, I once went halfway across Cornwall for £5... Problem is there's no point charging 20p for a km, there has to be a minimum fare and that's when the issue strikes. If you're too lazy to walk 1000m then you really ought to be forced to pay that :p
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I usually do, but when it's icey there is a high chance I'll die as they don't grit round here. Similar if I'm carrying shopping etc.

Plus I'm lardy.
 
Amp34 said:
Haha, I put in leaving at 8am... An hour late apparently. That is pretty mental though, leave half an hour later and it costs £100 less for that trip...

EDIT: 8.30 is £65 return...;)

And The train leaving at 9am from temple meads is £65 as well (as very other train after)...
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Yep, it's ridiculous. If you want to the City, you have to get the 6am train really if you want to make it for 9am because you have a modest tube journey to go.
 
Advance tickets are Okish and it's now making sense for me to use trains finically rather than the car to see family. However if more than one of you is travelling or you need to book late it is rediculuse money. Public transport, should be run not for profit and efficiently. How can other countries get it so right.
 
Davola said:
I also dislike how they have the peak hours in the morning so people that are going to work have to fork out a quid or two more and then they only provide two carriages and pack as many people in to them as possible.

/rant
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Its a lot more than a quid or two!

But to be honest which service doesn't cost a lot more at peak times. Can't argue with them charging more at the busiest periods. Although i agree that prices are generally too high.
 
I actually get a seat on the commute to london as we're only the second stop along. I pay 3 grand for the 'privilege' of a daily 40 mile trip, and that is quite a saving over daily rates, which are a complete rip off, and then they wonder why so many people are unwilling to get rid of their cars.

I would consider giving up my car if my season ticket gave me a discount on the rest of the national network and the different branches linked together rather than having to go into London and then back out, or some other crazy route, to get from st albans to stevenage for example :rolleyes:

I think the TFL part of my season ticket is good value, why it costs 2+ grand for a slow, smelly train to take me a handful of miles i really don't understand.

/rant
 
shauncr91 said:
Was looking at train prices this morning from Sheffield to Newquay, £270 :o, by comparison we could fly on the same date for just 80!
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Sheffield's station is a joke, it just isn't on the right lines meaning to get anywhere other than Manchester you have to change at Stockport. Eg, when I go home to Stoke, it costs me £18 each way, or £22 return. It's only 52 miles to my house, would cost about £5 in petrol.
 
I think you would struggle to find anyone in London who believe the overground train fee's are justified. Tfl prices seem moderate in comparison, even though they have workers demanding ridiculous pay rises for the 'stress' of working during the Olympics :/
 
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