Since when did taking the train become a luxury?

[Kev]

I've been doing a bit of planning for my holiday home this summer and one of the things I was most looking forward to was sitting on a train. I know it doesn't sound much but I really like sitting on a train reading my newspapers or else looking idly out the window at the lovely rolling countryside. Britain has some pretty decent papers, some of the nicest scenery, but unfortunately a grotesquely overpriced rail service.

I just did a search for ticket prices in order to give myself an idea of what I might be spending and I was shocked to see some of the prices. A one way ticket from my parents town to london will set you back about 85 quid! That's outrageous. I was planning to use the train a fair bit as I am meeting a few old friends around the country, but I am coming to realise that doing that is going to involve giving a lot of money to these rail operators and I don't think it is fair. It's no wonder everybody drives a car when the rail services are not a convenient nor viable alternative. I could always take the coach which is cheap, but it's just not convient. A coach from Harrogate to Worthing, for instance, takes nigh on 9 hours. I don't want to do that and would much rather enjoy a nice reasonably priced railway journey at half the time.

A party should push through a nationalisation of the railways plan and give the railways back to the British people. What we have now are a bunch of rip off merchants! I can get a return train ticket to Seoul for the equivalent of about 6 pounds. In England that would cost me about 25 pounds. That's not right.

Rant over.

Yes but to be fair I imagine the Seoul trains have about 1000 passengers per carriage with no toilet facilities and half the commuters wearing man nappies to save them from the dangers of shitting out of a window of a moving train.

Usually in the UK it's cheaper to buy a return ticket than a one way one. Also I believe there are search engines that hunt for better prices by getting you to use two or more different trains, i.e hop off one and onto another and you pay half the price overall.

There's always ways around things.

Did you hear that on the Ricky Gervais show?

The greatest podcasts ever made. I'm still trying to get hold the last 5 episodes not been able to find them yet, very annoying.

[Gandalf]

So that is where Bilbo has been getting his stats?

I should have known! Tut, tut, tut.

[Conrad]

You probably already know this Miles but booking in advance and specifying which particular train you are catching also gets you discounts. Having a ticket which gives you flexibilty such as an open return bumps the price.

Maybe it's because they're two big transport hubs but I can get a return from Brum to London for just £12. That's pretty damn cheap but I have to book a good few weeks in advance for that..

[Gandalf]

You probably already know this Miles but booking in advance and specifying which particular train you are catching also gets you discounts. Having a ticket which gives you flexibilty such as an open return bumps the price.

Maybe it's because they're two big transport hubs but I can get a return from Brum to London for just £12. That's pretty damn cheap but I have to book a good few weeks in advance for that..

Cheers Conrad,

I must admit that I am so far out the loop and that's partly why I started this thread. I'm coming home but I have been in the UK only a few weeks or so in the past 7 years. It's like an alien country to me in some regards.

I'm just learning about Oyster cards now. They seem totally weird to me, but I guess I will just have to get informed somehow.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

I like oyster cards. everywhere should have them.