TRAINS (AGAIN)

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dodger
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TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by dodger »

This isn't about space on trains, just cost.
I have 2 journeys in mind, one the Pilgrim Trail across N Spain, the other, the Western Isles.
Looking at train fares to get to each, and that's when the joy of British railway travel bites.

From Roscoff in Brittany to Bayonne, close to Biarritz, would cost around £47, plus TGV bike fee, so possibly £65 ish.
The route goes via Paris and is, I guess, around 600 miles. It takes around 12 - 13 hours.

From home in Liskeard, Cornwall to Oban, (not too dissimilar a distance) in contrast, costs from around £146 and seems to require overnight travel.

I may well be a grumpy old s**, but it does seem to prove how efficient privatisation is - if you are a shareholder in the train companies!
On a par with the PFI contract for our local schools, but that's another argument!
reohn2
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by reohn2 »

It just illustrates how bad the UK public transport system is,and how much the public are being ripped off by private 'enterprise'.
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mjr
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by mjr »

dodger wrote:From home in Liskeard, Cornwall to Oban, (not too dissimilar a distance) in contrast, costs from around £146 and seems to require overnight travel.

It looks possible to do that 14h journey without going overnight (change Birmingham New Street, Haymarket and Glasgow Queen Street on the way out, Glasgow and Edinburgh on the return), but stonkingly expensive. I don't know if the Glasgow tunnel works are messing up the fares as well as the times.

The biggest difference is probably that the French journey mentioned goes via Paris, while the UK one doesn't go via London... however, at a glance it looks like all fares to Oban from anywhere in southern England other than the West Coast Main Line are pretty expensive, so I don't know what's going on there. Deutsche Bahn's Cross Country doing something odd perhaps?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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SpannerGeek
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by SpannerGeek »

The same journey to the Isle of Skye would take a whopping 16.5hrs. Roughly the train journey time from Paris to Rome (1450km)...!

Just checked the average journey time from Liskeard to Oban and it's 17h58min!!!
dodger
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by dodger »

Seems I might be too quick to condemn.
Despite being quoted £146 + sleeper each way, there is a return fare on Great Western site of around £160ish. (Depending on when you book). But still needing overnight travel.
Thanks for the info. I'll try some different times and single/return fare combinations. Sometimes you can get significant savings, but what a hassle!
tyreon
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by tyreon »

Dodger: You are competing with Maqrcus DuSautoy,the maths whizz prof!! The computations with journey times,railway companies would have him 'consigned'. Have mercy.

Then,have you thought about getting your bike to and from said destination? On the different trains,on the different companies,on the different platforms,with the different guards? I have gratis Hannibal Lecter leather belts to strap you down when you finally break. But think of your wife! Some people go into these computations to never come out again!
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mjr
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by mjr »

Liskeard-Oban looks like a journey where I would travel to my third-nearest station to buy the tickets because I know there's a lovely expert ticket seller still working there. :(
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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ferrit worrier
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by ferrit worrier »

Try booking in sections rather than the whole journey in one go. Book as far inadvance as you can. Hth

malc
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irc
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by irc »

Is the current open ended closure of the west coast line between Gretna and Glasgow affecting the release of cheap tickets?
francovendee
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by francovendee »

reohn2 wrote:It just illustrates how bad the UK public transport system is,and how much the public are being ripped off by private 'enterprise'.

+1
PH
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by PH »

Yes French trains are subsidised to an extent that ours never have been, no news there. It's the difference between considering public transport a service or business.
Splitting tickets, going by obscure routes and at odd times can save a fortune, but it's a ridiculous game to have to play.
axel_knutt
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by axel_knutt »

Sounds like a bargain, it cost me £97 to go from Essex to Manchester last summer.
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Richard Fairhurst
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

For Penzance to the Western Isles, I'd be tempted to try for an advance ticket from Penzance to Paddington, then see if there are any cheap fares available for the sleeper from Euston. That takes you to Fort Bill rather than Oban, of course, but you can then have a lovely ride (or catch the train) to Mallaig and cross to Skye from there...
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reohn2
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by reohn2 »

And they wonder why people fly! :?
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mjr
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Re: TRAINS (AGAIN)

Post by mjr »

reohn2 wrote:And they wonder why people fly! :?

It's because airlines only sell you an airport-airport ticket and you're SOL for the remaining legs but people seem to ignore that.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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