I'll scream and scream and scream. I cannot imagine how much money it is costing these various train companies to advertise endlessly just to try to get customers on to an extortionately expensive mode of public transport.
Should be zero need to advertise, well once it is all brought back into public ownership. Train prices are simply ridiculous. Also look at buses. Even that £3 single fare cap is expensive. If me n the other half go into town, it's £5 in a taxi door to door at a time chosen by us or £6 on the bus to a set timetable but probably late or cancelled.
What really is ridiculous is that a journey from where I live to Barnsley costs about the same by train as it does to drive - but only if I'm on my own, if my wife is with me, the car is half the price of the train. And that is using the Derbyshire Wayfarer (senior) which costs me £11.20 from Burton on Trent to Sheffield and a normal return on the train from Sheffield to Barnsley at about £7. No wonder public transport is a disaster in the country that invented trains.
Two examples from me: Looking to go to Orient match with 19yo who has a railcard. Put in prices from Horsforth - King's Cross about £200. Put in from Leeds - King's Cross it's £130. On the same train from Leeds. Horsforth- Leeds return is about £8 for 2 people. If you didn't try that would get ripped off. My wife's dad in hospital in Plymouth she's travelled today. Late notice train - was going to Exeter which is closer to their house. About £130 single. Turns out she was going to arrive in visiting hours so we booked to Plymouth instead. £48.10. On the same train and it's 50 miles and an hour FURTHER to Plymouth. It's utter madness......
Agreed. I know about the Horsforth con but only found the other one by chance. Frustrating thing is £48.10 Leeds to Plymouth booked 48hrs in advance is a great price as well. Would have been fuming if we had paid the other price.
I have had 2 trips to a customer site this month. Last week, I had to travel to Birmingham, and on the advice of the customer, chose to go by train, simply because they are yards away from Birmingham New Street station, and getting into the city and parking would be problematic. Cost - £67, plus another £13.50 to leave the car for the day in the Frenchgate car park at Doncaster. The week before, I was in West Bromwich, similar distance, and went by car. In my EV, the 200 mile round trip cost £4.50. In a petrol car with unremarkable efficiency it would have been under £30. Under half the price of the train. As an aside, it is difficult to imagine a more grim, depressing, run down **** hole of a town centre than that of West Bromwich. Barnsley is light years ahead.
I always check this when making longer journeys. https://splittickets.ticketysplit.co.uk/ Excellent site. Literally got our tickets half price when travelling to Stansted Airport recently. It issued us with separate singles between every stop on the line. Bonkersville.
Whilst we're ranting, having 4/5G blackouts around Wombwell station is so annoying. As is having to wait for a platform when you get close to Sheffield. (obviously my main concern is the silly costs - it should be cheaper for a party of 4 to go by train than drive)
I get this but that site wouldn't have suggested buying a ticket to Plymouth instead, it would have calculated the cheapest way of getting between two set parameters (Leeds and Exeter). Helpful for Orient trip 100% but not for my wife's Cornwall trip.
That is particularly mental. It's sometimes cheaper to take the direct train from Lincoln to London than it is to buy a ticket from Newark or Grantham, even though they're both further down the line.