Trains

[subman101]

Now, I like trains. I did a project when I was a kid. I cycle along disused tracks. I occasionally get my bike and cycle to the station 3 miles away and catch a train to work (which involves a mile cycle downhill at t'other end), and which will mean that I'll just break even on the petrol and car-usage front. If I get a tram and then the mainline, then it's more expensive than driving.

Bear in mind that I live 10 minutes walk from the tram and 10 minutes walk from a connected Bolton station for work on mainline. To get rid of my car and rely entirely upon public transport will cost more than running a car per annum including fuel, tax, maintenance, MOT, insurance etc

Surely there is something wrong with the system for this to be the case - I live in a city and work in a connected city which has about 6 mainline connections per hour for the 15 mile interlink!

 

[conny]

I very rarely go into the city centre but if I did it would cost more on public transport than going by car.
Like you say, wheres the sense?

 

[subman101]

Therein lies the absurdity. On the one hand we talk about obesity and on the other we make it less financially and indeed time-wise (limited bus/tram/train services early morning) viable. And then we complain about the use/cost of fuel and indeed behaviour of other drivers of our enforced overly congested roads...

 

[Diane2]

in Blackpool....for £3.75, you can ride the buses and trams all day.....go wherever you like on the network.....thats a bargain.

(£2 for kids)

 

[conny]

in Blackpool....for £3.75, you can ride the buses and trams all day.....go wherever you like on the network.....thats a bargain.

(£2 for kids)

Bet thats what you get away with don't ya???

 

[subman101]

It's getting to Blackpool that's the issue

 

[Diane2]

Blackpool to Manchester train stops at every bloody lamp post.....1 hour 15 to Piccadilly........ridiculous!!!!!!!!

 

[Whitespirit66]

Bus fares in Bristol are ludicrous, and known to be some of the most expensive in the country.

There is something that partly explains this. Few years back, the bus co. reduced the number of routes. Then with the existing routes, they made the bus go all around the the houses, stopping at the stops for the routes that were axed.

I rarely use buses, but I had to recently. I used a bus number that I had used many years before. I only wanted to go a couple of miles, and was shocked at the fare. It soon became obvious why the fare was high. Instead of travelling the old route, which was more or less direct, we went through shopping centres, housing estates, etc, etc. It was all very interesting this magical mystery tour. In fact it was like a personal guided tour of places you didn't want to see. Just me and the driver on the bus.

 

[David937]

Some things don't add up when it comes to train fares, example:

Bristol Temple Meads - Birmingham New Street is

£94 anytime return

The train calls at Bristol Parkway and Cheltenham Spa.

However, if you book an anytime return to Cheltenham Spa and another anytime return to Birmingham New Street, it comes to:

£47.90!

You stay on the same train, just show both tickets, done it in the past before.

 

[big-all]

Some things don't add up when it comes to train fares, example:

Bristol Temple Meads - Birmingham New Street is

£94 anytime return

The train calls at Bristol Parkway and Cheltenham Spa.

However, if you book an anytime return to Cheltenham Spa and another anytime return to Birmingham New Street, it comes to:

£47.90!

You stay on the same train, just show both tickets, done it in the past before.

yep pefectly legal providing the train stops there can even work on 3 or more "changes" for longer journeys this can include a ticket from a to d and b to c with an overlap but the train must stop at every mentioned station

another example edinburgh to carstairs years ago no direct sunday service so the ticket had to be used via glasgow nearly 5 times the distance ediburgh carstairs say 30 miles edin glasgow so 50 miles glasgow to carstairs say 30 miles

any way wasn't going to carstairs was going to glasgow so ticket half the price but not allowed to terminate journey in glasgow but because off change off stations at glasgow no one could argue i was terminating my journey short lol

the point i am making is look for ananomalies

 

[chapeau]

If you include the complete rip of costs of parking your car in the city centre then taking the bus becomes cheaper round here.

The advantage of taking the car in and paying the complete rip off costs of parking in the city centre is that it limits the mrs to two hours of shopping. If we were going to catch the bus home she'd be shopping until the last place threw her out to close for the night.

The disadvantage of taking the car in and paying the complete rip off costs of parking is that she has a whole estate car boot to fill up. Taking the bus home leaves her limited to all I can carry.

 

[conny]

If you include the complete rip of costs of parking your car in the city centre then taking the bus becomes cheaper round here.

The advantage of taking the car in and paying the complete rip off costs of parking in the city centre is that it limits the mrs to two hours of shopping. If we were going to catch the bus home she'd be shopping until the last place threw her out to close for the night.

The disadvantage of taking the car in and paying the complete rip off costs of parking is that she has a whole estate car boot to fill up. Taking the bus home leaves her limited to all I can carry.

So its six of one and half a dozen the other!

 

[Whitespirit66]

Some things don't add up when it comes to train fares, example:

Bristol Temple Meads - Birmingham New Street is

£94 anytime return

The train calls at Bristol Parkway and Cheltenham Spa.

However, if you book an anytime return to Cheltenham Spa and another anytime return to Birmingham New Street, it comes to:

£47.90!

You stay on the same train, just show both tickets, done it in the past before.

I did the exact same journey (Bristol to Birmingham), except didn't realise I could save money by getting 2 tickets. I paid £47 one way!!

Just checked on National Rail Enquiries site. Bris to Birm one ticket = £44, two tickets = £18.

Wish I'd known 2 months ago. Could have saved myself £26.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

Some things don't add up when it comes to train fares, example:

Bristol Temple Meads - Birmingham New Street is

£94 anytime return

The train calls at Bristol Parkway and Cheltenham Spa.

However, if you book an anytime return to Cheltenham Spa and another anytime return to Birmingham New Street, it comes to:

£47.90!

You stay on the same train, just show both tickets, done it in the past before.

I did the exact same journey (Bristol to Birmingham), except didn't realise I could save money by getting 2 tickets. I paid £47 one way!!

Just checked on National Rail Enquiries site. Bris to Birm one ticket = £44, two tickets = £18.

Wish I'd known 2 months ago. Could have saved myself £26.

By chance i've had an e-mail newsletter today from Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website - have a look! You can download an 'app' (called TicketySplit) for your phone which will tell you if you can cut the cost of your tickets on a train journey buy buying 'split tickets'. Does the hard work for you!!

 

[Whitespirit66]

Some things don't add up when it comes to train fares, example:

Bristol Temple Meads - Birmingham New Street is

£94 anytime return

The train calls at Bristol Parkway and Cheltenham Spa.

However, if you book an anytime return to Cheltenham Spa and another anytime return to Birmingham New Street, it comes to:

£47.90!

You stay on the same train, just show both tickets, done it in the past before.

I did the exact same journey (Bristol to Birmingham), except didn't realise I could save money by getting 2 tickets. I paid £47 one way!!

Just checked on National Rail Enquiries site. Bris to Birm one ticket = £44, two tickets = £18.

Wish I'd known 2 months ago. Could have saved myself £26.

By chance i've had an e-mail newsletter today from Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website - have a look! You can download an 'app' (called TicketySplit) for your phone which will tell you if you can cut the cost of your tickets on a train journey buy buying 'split tickets'. Does the hard work for you!!

Thanks for the info. However, I won't be getting an app just yet. My phone is so old it doesn't even have a camera.

However, there is a Wizard available from the same people - suitable for us with the Antiques Roadshow mobiles.

http://splitticket.moneysavingexper...ers=adult&type=walkonsingle&hour=20&minute=32

Won't be paying retail again on train fares.