"The UK has the most expensive train fares in Europe"

[platinumsage]

Just looking at going to London for an evening event, with one other person. Seems it's cheaper for us to drive into central London and park there, than it is to get the train, even excluding the cost of getting to the train station in the first place:

126.8 miles
£19.49 petrol
£24 parking for 4.5 hours Q-Park Westminster, directly opposite Parliament.
£15 congestion charge
=£58.49

Return £26.80 x 2
Tube £2.40 each way per person: £9.60
=£63.20
plus taxi to and from station £20
=£83.20

 

[SpookyFrank]

This week I did 4 people as follows:

London-Chesterfield
Chesterfield-Newcastle
Newcastle-London

They could be fixed on the London-Chesterfield, but were scouting locations in Chesterfield & Newcastle and needed flexi tickets. They wanted first class cos pandemic. Anyone want a stab at how much that little lot cost? Would make Henry Hill and his Paulie Vario mob blush.

£1,916

Now, as googling this stuff is apparently a job, you owe me 10% of that which is £191.60. Cash or cheque.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

£1,916

Now, as googling this stuff is apparently a job, you owe me 10% of that which is £191.60. Cash or cheque.

There's one other part of the job you need to do to get the dough Frank, find people willing to pay for the tickets and for your commission. If you can do that I'll give you a job.

 

[SpookyFrank]

There's one other part of the job you need to do to get the dough Frank, find people willing to pay for the tickets and for your commission. If you can do that I'll give you a job.

No problem, I'll just slip my coke dealer a few quid for a quick look at his rolodex.

 

[ruffneck23]

No problem, I'll just slip my coke dealer a few quid for a quick look at his rolodex.

Mate, if you think no-one has ever googled something to help with their job, you're deluded.

In my last interview (which I got) I mentioned google as one of my biggest support tools.

 

[teuchter]

Yeah, you go to book with SWR, you then have to go to National Rail Enquires, then make a phone call. Just to buy a train ticket. And morons seriously question why folk prefer to drive.

You don't have to make a phone call. But yes it's a mess.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Yeah, you go to book with SWR, you then have to go to National Rail Enquires, then make a phone call. Just to buy a train ticket. And morons seriously question why folk prefer to drive.

Try booking assistance for a wheelchair users. Fucking disgraceful shitshow.

 

[teuchter]

Just looking at going to London for an evening event, with one other person. Seems it's cheaper for us to drive into central London and park there, than it is to get the train, even excluding the cost of getting to the train station in the first place:

126.8 miles
£19.49 petrol
£24 parking for 4.5 hours Q-Park Westminster, directly opposite Parliament.
£15 congestion charge
=£58.49

Return £26.80 x 2
Tube £2.40 each way per person: £9.60
=£63.20
plus taxi to and from station £20
=£83.20

Of course, even on urban75, people never factor in their own scab labour. Undercutting unionised workers by doing the driving work for free.

 

[ruffneck23]

Of course, even on urban75, people never factor in their own scab labour. Undercutting unionised workers by doing the driving work for free.

Dont be a dick (again) it would all be supported if it was value for money, we have to go for the cheapest option, cos we are all fucked at the moment and some of us don't have unions (I support unions btw)

 

[Teaboy]

Just looking at going to London for an evening event, with one other person. Seems it's cheaper for us to drive into central London and park there, than it is to get the train, even excluding the cost of getting to the train station in the first place:

126.8 miles
£19.49 petrol
£24 parking for 4.5 hours Q-Park Westminster, directly opposite Parliament.
£15 congestion charge
=£58.49

Return £26.80 x 2
Tube £2.40 each way per person: £9.60
=£63.20
plus taxi to and from station £20
=£83.20

Might want to check the Ultra Low Emission Zone as well to make sure your car complies.

 

[hash tag]

£170 for 2 singles. The minute I got my confirmation I immediately wrote back to say they have got them wrong...a Railcard was used

6 emails without response, 1 useless online chat and 2 telephone calls later and LNER have finally sorted this out

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

6 emails without response, 1 useless online chat and 2 telephone calls later and LNER have finally sorted this out

You should have hopped in the motor and nipped over to their offices in York to sort this out in person rather than fanny about with emails, chats and phone calls.

 

[hash tag]

You should have hopped in the motor and nipped over to their offices in York to sort this out in person rather than fanny about with emails, chats and phone calls.

Given circumstances, I did not expect that from you for at least 2 different reasons

 

[teuchter]

6 emails without response, 1 useless online chat and 2 telephone calls later and LNER have finally sorted this out

Seems like nationalisation hasn't magically made everything wonderful after all.

 

[T & P]

Seems like nationalisation hasn't magically made everything wonderful after all.

In a few other nations a privatised railway might sometimes prove to be not a noticeably worse value for money to ordinary people than a nationalised one. But that’s the exception not the rule. Certainly very rare to expect that anywhere other than in first world European nations where the government is not completely corrupt.

Please don’t take this as me having a go- I genuinely find your position on this puzzling. One of the arguments you regularly use against private car ownership is the socioeconomic one; that a society promoting car use over public transport amounts to the rich pissing on the working class. And sometimes accuse some posters in here you regard as being petrolheads as being Tories for it.

Yet when it comes to the railways, you seem to not just defend the UK’s status quo of a privatised de-facto franchise monopoly that has proven a horrendous ripoff, but actively speak against the very concept of public railway ownership. As your post above seems to suggest.

As if you oppose it on principle. Not just the alleged failings of British Rail in the past, but any suggestion that we should strive towards a renationalision of the UK railways on general principle.

Is that really how you feel?

 

[Saul Goodman]

In a few other nations a privatised railway might sometimes prove to be not a noticeably worse value for money to ordinary people than a nationalised one. But that’s the exception not the rule. Certainly very rare to expect that anywhere other than in first world European nations where the government is not completely corrupt.

Please don’t take this as me having a go- I genuinely find your position on this puzzling. One of the arguments you regularly use against private car ownership is the socioeconomic one; that a society promoting car use over public transport amounts to the rich pissing on the working class. And sometimes accuse some posters in here you regard as being petrolheads as being Tories for it.

Yet when it comes to the railways, you seem to not just defend the UK’s status quo of a privatised de-facto franchise monopoly that has proven a horrendous ripoff, but actively speak against the very concept of public railway ownership. As your post above seems to suggest.

As if you oppose it on principle. Not just the alleged failings of British Rail in the past, but any suggestion that we should strive towards a renationalision of the UK railways on general principle.

Is that really how you feel?

You do realise teuchter is a proper Tory boy, right? He makes Sas look like Harold Wilson

 

[teuchter]

Yet when it comes to the railways, you seem to not just defend the UK’s status quo of a privatised de-facto franchise monopoly that has proven a horrendous ripoff, but actively speak against the very concept of public railway ownership. As your post above seems to suggest.

As if you oppose it on principle. Not just the alleged failings of British Rail in the past, but any suggestion that we should strive towards a renationalision of the UK railways on general principle.

Is that really how you feel?

No, it's not. The position you outline doesn't match mine and is the product of your addled imagination. Hope that answers your question.

 

[hash tag]

In the last few days I have had several more emails regarding my tickets, which have now be cancelled and new ones issue several times. It turns out the last two tickets issued were both full price and both were for the same seat! The ticket inspector has just checked some of the tickets issued. We have at least 5 live tickets all for different seats and one cancelled ticket. It's bonkers. As for this being a quiet coach, there have been a constant string of announcements since leaving Aberdeen

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

In the last few days I have had several more emails regarding my tickets, which have now be cancelled and new ones issue several times. It turns out the last two tickets issued were both full price and both were for the same seat! The ticket inspector has just checked some of the tickets issued. We have at least 5 live tickets all for different seats and one cancelled ticket. It's bonkers. As for this being a quiet coach, there have been a constant string of announcements since leaving Aberdeen

Aberdeen to Edinburgh 2 hours 30 mins. Aberdeen to Heathrow 90 mins...

 

[T & P]

As this thread is increasingly turning into a cheap ticket challenge for those who maintain reasonably priced train tickets are usually always there to be found, can I present my own:

Any London station to Lincoln, departing 19 Oct at around 1 pm but flexible, returning 20 Oct at around 1 pm-ish.

My mates booked about two weeks ago and apparently it came to less than £30 per head. A group of 5-6 travelling so perhaps that helped.

I’m doing a search on the usual websites for the same trip and I’m being quoted eighty-two fucking quid for it. Is there a significantly cheaper option out there? Because if it is, it sure ain’t being displayed on my screen.

 

[teuchter]

£82 is the standard off peak return yes. Or it looks like about £40 return if you get advance tickets.

 

[T & P]

What is the cut-off date for advance fares? 30 days I guess? I thought it was three weeks, but clearly not.

 

[maomao]

What is the cut-off date for advance fares? 30 days I guess? I thought it was three weeks, but clearly not.

18:00 the day before travel though may be later in some cases.

 

[teuchter]

It used to be 1800 day before but some of them now, you can buy shortly before boarding. No guarantee that they will be available of course, the later you leave it the fewer advance fares there will be to choose from, generally.

 

[Winot]

Anyone know what’s going on here?

Cheap Electric Train Tickets From Edinburgh - London | Lumo

Buy train tickets & find the best deals on rail fares to London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Stevenage & more. Enjoy greener travel with Lumo's electric trains today.

www.lumo.co.uk

A ‘new train company’ with a sustainable philosophy blah blah blah. Except they use LNER services so are they just a ticket agency?

 

[teuchter]

Anyone know what’s going on here?

Cheap Electric Train Tickets From Edinburgh - London | Lumo

Buy train tickets & find the best deals on rail fares to London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Stevenage & more. Enjoy greener travel with Lumo's electric trains today.

www.lumo.co.uk

A ‘new train company’ with a sustainable philosophy blah blah blah. Except they use LNER services so are they just a ticket agency?

They are a new open access operator. Same route as LNER but different trains and different company.

 

[Elpenor]

They can probably sell you a ticket for an LNER service, but they have their own, separate, rolling stock.

 

[Winot]

They are a new open access operator. Same route as LNER but different trains and different company.

They can probably sell you a ticket for an LNER service, but they have their own, separate, rolling stock.

I’m heading to Newcastle mid-October. I’ve just searched and there are no Lumo services at all, only LNER.

If they have new rolling stock it’s a bit bizarre that their website doesn’t explain why it’s better that LNER’s.

 

[teuchter]

They don't start until end of October.

Their trains are actually pretty much the same as LNER's but painted a different colour...

New ‘greener and cheaper’ rail service Lumo to launch next month - what you need to know

Travel service FirstGroup is set to launch its budget London to Edinburgh rail service, called Lumo, at the end of next month, in a bid to offer passengers a cheaper and greener alternative to flying.

www.scotsman.com

 

[Winot]

They don't start until end of October.

Their trains are actually pretty much the same as LNER's but painted a different colour...

New ‘greener and cheaper’ rail service Lumo to launch next month - what you need to know

Travel service FirstGroup is set to launch its budget London to Edinburgh rail service, called Lumo, at the end of next month, in a bid to offer passengers a cheaper and greener alternative to flying.

www.scotsman.com

Good article - thanks.