Edinburgh - London: train vs plane (Scotsman challenge)
- Thread starter teuchter
- Start date
Here we are - proof positive that flying is the best way to travel between Edinburgh and London (as endorsed by the Scottish Government's "Climate Change" weenies).
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/Climate-change-officials-slammed-over.6682887.jp
"The Climate Change Division spent almost £16,000 on flights in 2009-10, the majority of which were to London.
The figure represents a rise from just over £9500 in 2007-8 and comes as the amount of money spent on rail travel fell to just £6663.
Of 50 flights taken by officials working at Victoria Quay in 2009-10, 34 were to London, while others were to Brussels, Belfast, Cardiff and the Copenhagen climate change summit."
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/Climate-change-officials-slammed-over.6682887.jp
"The Climate Change Division spent almost £16,000 on flights in 2009-10, the majority of which were to London.
The figure represents a rise from just over £9500 in 2007-8 and comes as the amount of money spent on rail travel fell to just £6663.
Of 50 flights taken by officials working at Victoria Quay in 2009-10, 34 were to London, while others were to Brussels, Belfast, Cardiff and the Copenhagen climate change summit."
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Proof positive that certain people with small cocks make themselves feel all self important by flying.
Ich bin ein Mod
does his make up in his room
Proof positive my bum. A quick calculation based on the train fare from Edinburgh to London on Monday (no advance deal) gives a figure of 58 journeys for the figure spent on rail travel. Now, I would assume that not all of that rail spend is on travel to London, but that is a flawed set of statistics you're using to back up your claim Cobbles.
Money spent on air travel (the vast majority of which was internal UK) = up
Money spent on rail travel = down
Presuming that these enviro-geeks have to justify their travel, then they obviously wouldn't use an allegedly polar bear killing plane unless it was much more efficient.
editor
hiraethified
Meanwhile, in the real world, rail traffic continues to grow, with companies like Southern enjoying a large increase in passenger journeys. Why do you think that is Cobbles?
And planes certainly weren't much use in the snow either.
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
Probably for the same reasons that Easyjet et al posted record passenger numbers this year - people like being able to travel, especially using modes that are quick and convenient.
I know, mind you, it wasn't as if there weren't any problems with trains..................
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8216794/UK-snow-rail-passengers-endure-travel-misery-as-Heathrow-fiasco-enters-fifth-day.html
"UK snow: rail passengers endure travel misery as Heathrow fiasco enters fifth day"
As far as I can recall, cross border services were intermittent the week before that and the preceeding 2 weeks - and that's not taking into account all the "passengers have to undure night of misery on freezing train/platform/waiting room" stories from dahn sarf..
editor
hiraethified
There were problems, but nothing remotely as bad as what happened at the airports - and rail passengers weren't stuck out in some godforsaken terminal miles from non rip-off shops.
Of course, if you went by rail you can be compensated for your trouble, but when it comes to your precious pollutin' air travel, you're fucked.
No - they were just stuck on the train, miles from anything at all............
"Passengers stranded on a freezing train all night in snow"
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23902750-passengers-stuck-on-a-freezing-train-for-eight-hours-in-the-snow.do
Thank heavens they weren't travelling long distance............
Anyway, in order to start stacking up my gween cwedentials, I shall adopt the Scottish Office climate change team's travel policy - use internal flights more and more - it must be green otherwise they wouldn't do it..........
editor
hiraethified
Is that all?
These poor air passengers were all stranded for TWO days and then they had to get an a 140 mile coach journey - with, of course, zero compensation on offer.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-days-airlines-cancel-flights-big-freeze.html
lighterthief
Well-Known Member
The day you can catch the train from London to Fuerteventura I'll take your point more seriously.
editor
hiraethified
People taking internal flights were also affected, you know, and Cobbles is always insisting that air travel is so much better for getting around the UK...
Indeed - a viewpoint endorsed by one of the UK's leading Climate Change bodies:
http://news.scotsman.com/environment/Climate-change-officials-slammed-over.6682887.jp
mattie
missing in inaction
The only endorsement I saw in that article was from a Green MSP endorsing non-air travel.
It's obvious, they're spending more and more on internal air travel and less and less on rail travel so, as an accountable public body where travel will no doubt be stringently justified, it's clear that they find air travel more efficient.
mattie
missing in inaction
mattie
missing in inaction
I think the problem comes down to one of perceptions, as many companies still view flying as quicker for their employees, regardless of alternative options. It seems to be the default option for any reasonably lengthy journey, with the easyjet website a first port of call. And, of course, it becomes self-fulfilling as many companies organise meets around flights (witness the growing market for pay-by-the-hour meeting centres around the major airports, for example).
A few years back I was involved in a large-scale research programme with Unis including Cambridge, Reading, Strathclyde, Loughborough and Leeds. The profs always wanted to meet in Glasgow as they could fly there from every other location, Leeds perhaps excepted, and always timed the meet to coincide with their flight times. Of course, they'd disappear early as we'd discuss technical stuff at the end of the programme board, so they'd get a lunchtime flight and we'd be stuck until late evening. A little more thought and we could have all got trains to Leeds, Loughborough or Reading, with maybe one or two groups needing to fly, and we could all leave at our convenience.
(I don't include my prof in this, he was always prepared to take a train but as project manager he struggled to get everyone together, so had to go with whatever the others would accept)
lighterthief
Well-Known Member
Why is air travel lazy (if that's what you're saying)?
mattie
missing in inaction
Lazy (although sometimes uninformed and sometimes self-centred) booking practices, as expanded upon in the following post.
Following that message on, our office secretary would only ever book us flights, to be fair to her it can take some effort to find decent train tickets whereas buying flights takes a couple of minutes max (assuming route is well-serviced). I can't blame her for going for the quickest option, especially one she knows people will accept.
I would have thought a train company should run a campaign and develop an app/webpage function where you can enter the details of a flight and it could give you the details of potential 'competing' train journeys. I'm sure someone will post in a few minutes telling me that it's all so simple to find suitable train tickets, in my experiences it's anything but.
