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pablissimo · 4 Jan 2007, 14:17

The only long-distance journey I make with any frequency is Edinburgh-Liverpool return, which I can do for about £38 with my railcard, adding in a local train in Liverpool to and from my house to bring it to £41ish. Even with a 10% rise that's only £45, about £15 less than the petrol a car would have guzzled on the same 526 mile round-trip.

At Christmas I made the downward journey in about 5 and a half hours, door to door. In fact, that's pretty much what it takes by car, especially considering I'd made the journey on the Saturday. Coming back was about 6 hours, on the Wednesday. I didn't have a seat for about 45 minutes of that journey but otherwise it went pretty smoothly. In Edinburgh I live close enough to the station that I can walk it comfortably in 20 minutes, with enough time to have a crafty fag before I go in.

London is of course a different story, but an awful lot of ruckus comes up about these things almost exclusively based upon travelling to and from the capital, a journey which isn't reflective of an average citizen's travel. I'll admit that when I have had to go to London on the train it's been more hassle than doing the one-change Edinburgh->Liverpool (even though the London train's direct), but it's hardly earth-shattering, I don't come out the other end of it with post-traumatic stress disorder and assuming I'm not retarded with my travel times it doesn't cost me the Earth. Travelling by train's as much of a pain in the ass as people choose to make it. Plan for problems, leave earlier than you need, take a book and realise that an hour's delay here or there really isn't much bother, and things go a lot smoother than wigging-out because your late train will miss a connection at York (which you cunningly planned to be the very last train out of York that could possibly help you), or because you're spending a shit-tonne of money getting a train that'll get you into London for 11am when you could have spent half that for one that would get you there just after lunch.

What the hell happened to Britain's stiff upper-lip? We're turning into a bunch of whiny tarts.

4 Jan 2007, 14:17	#12
pablissimo Henry Kelly Join Date: Apr 2000 Posts: 7,374	Re: Why I don't use the train The only long-distance journey I make with any frequency is Edinburgh-Liverpool return, which I can do for about £38 with my railcard, adding in a local train in Liverpool to and from my house to bring it to £41ish. Even with a 10% rise that's only £45, about £15 less than the petrol a car would have guzzled on the same 526 mile round-trip. At Christmas I made the downward journey in about 5 and a half hours, door to door. In fact, that's pretty much what it takes by car, especially considering I'd made the journey on the Saturday. Coming back was about 6 hours, on the Wednesday. I didn't have a seat for about 45 minutes of that journey but otherwise it went pretty smoothly. In Edinburgh I live close enough to the station that I can walk it comfortably in 20 minutes, with enough time to have a crafty fag before I go in. London is of course a different story, but an awful lot of ruckus comes up about these things almost exclusively based upon travelling to and from the capital, a journey which isn't reflective of an average citizen's travel. I'll admit that when I have had to go to London on the train it's been more hassle than doing the one-change Edinburgh->Liverpool (even though the London train's direct), but it's hardly earth-shattering, I don't come out the other end of it with post-traumatic stress disorder and assuming I'm not retarded with my travel times it doesn't cost me the Earth. Travelling by train's as much of a pain in the ass as people choose to make it. Plan for problems, leave earlier than you need, take a book and realise that an hour's delay here or there really isn't much bother, and things go a lot smoother than wigging-out because your late train will miss a connection at York (which you cunningly planned to be the very last train out of York that could possibly help you), or because you're spending a shit-tonne of money getting a train that'll get you into London for 11am when you could have spent half that for one that would get you there just after lunch. What the hell happened to Britain's stiff upper-lip? We're turning into a bunch of whiny tarts. __________________ You're now playing ketchup Last edited by pablissimo; 4 Jan 2007 at 14:22.