Let the train take the strain?

[Uncle Leo]

So I've just started at a new job and am trying to work out what will be my best commute. There are two decent options for the journey from Hemel Hempstead to Camden.

Option 1 - short drive to my local station (buses in Hemel are infrequent and unreliable), pay for parking, get a train to Euston, then a tube or bus to Camden Town

Option 2 - 40 minute drive to Finchley Central underground, pay for parking, then get the tube six stops to Camden Town.

I've just worked out what these two options will cost me each week and option 2 works out over £50 a week cheaper. Admittedly, total journey time for option one about 10 minutes less each way but still.

I'm all for doing my bit for the environment, but £50 a week more? **** that. So much for encouraging people to get off the roads and on to trains...

 

[MK Shrimper]

Don't blame me :sad:

Get a nice folding bike and cycle to Hemel/Camden Aldi?

 

[Uncle Leo]

Don't blame me :sad:

Get a nice folding bike and cycle to Hemel/Camden Aldi?

I wasn't blaming you. I blame you if the bins haven't been emptied at MK Central.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I wasn't blaming you. I blame you if the bins haven't been emptied at MK Central.

Don't get bitter just because you're selling Conference Pears rather than urging the vunerable to fritter away their money :dim:

 

[Pubey]

Bromton bike is a good shout. Just try not to die along Euston Rd

 

[Uncle Leo]

Bromton bike is a good shout. Just try not to die along Euston Rd

Takes out a bit of the cost, but the big killer really is the mainline train vs driving almost as far. Genuinely surprised at what a rip-off it is.

Plus Hemel is *really* hilly :SBH:

 

[MK Shrimper]

Takes out a bit of the cost, but the big killer really is the mainline train vs driving almost as far. Genuinely surprised at what a rip-off it is.

Plus Hemel is *really* hilly :SBH:

The truth is neither the TOC or NR have much say over the train ticket prices. The Government actively discourage people from taking the trains as they're full to capacity.

 

[Uncle Leo]

The truth is neither the TOC or NR have much say over the train ticket prices. The Government actively discourage people from taking the trains as they're full to capacity.

Poor show really. As a country we should be doing better.

Come to think of it, other than HS2 and a promise to freeze rail fares, has transport bee on the agenda much in this election?

Incidentally, I couldn't even get on a train out of Euston to Hemel last week. It was like a Tokyo subway.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Poor show really. As a country we should be doing better.

Come to think of it, other than HS2 and a promise to freeze rail fares, has transport bee on the agenda much in this election?

Incidentally, I couldn't even get on a train out of Euston to Hemel last week. It was like a Tokyo subway.

Victorian infrastructure, short term franchises that mean TOCs will not invest, unaffordable house prices in London meaning vast passenger growth and shareholders to pay. Not to mention that Privatisation is, and has been an absolute money wasting shambles.

If you saw Nick Hewer & Margaret Mountford last week they did a good(ish) picture of it all.

...and the RMT are voting for strike action BTW, due to a derisory pay rise offer (while Mark Carne, NR CEO awards himself an £80K payrise).

 

[manor15]

I'm on a year abroad in Spain next year, was looking at train fares the other day which showed how bad the system is here.

Bath, where I'm at uni now, to London, is 70 miles, takes 1 hour 45 minutes usually, and generally costs around £20 for a single with a railcard booked a couple of weeks in advance.

Alicante, where I'll be for part of next year, to Madrid, is 260 miles, takes 2 hours 20 minutes, and costs around £25 booked in advance with their equivalent of a railcard.

 

[steveo]

I'm on a year abroad in Spain next year.

Will you start making rubbish posts with links to national newspapers?

 

[rigsby]

Victorian infrastructure, short term franchises that mean TOCs will not invest, unaffordable house prices in London meaning vast passenger growth and shareholders to pay. Not to mention that Privatisation is, and has been an absolute money wasting shambles.

If you saw Nick Hewer & Margaret Mountford last week they did a good(ish) picture of it all.

...and the RMT are voting for strike action BTW, due to a derisory pay rise offer (while Mark Carne, NR CEO awards himself an £80K payrise).

I watched that programme. My understanding is annual ticket sales around £8 billion. Which means if we for example cut the £10 billion overseas aid every rail journey in Britain could be free. In fact we could up the time table by 20%. That would tick a lot of green boxes.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I watched that programme. My understanding is annual ticket sales around £8 billion. Which means if we for example cut the £10 billion overseas aid every rail journey in Britain could be free. In fact we could up the time table by 20%. That would tick a lot of green boxes.

While I shan't comment on the overseas aid bit, I'm not sure how you could "up" the timetable? It's pretty much at capacity, everywhere, what with TOCs and FOCs fighting for space. There used to be firebreaks in the timetable, to try and stop any minor delays impacting on other services, but they got eaten up.

 

[londonblue]

While I shan't comment on the overseas aid bit, I'm not sure how you could "up" the timetable? It's pretty much at capacity, everywhere, what with TOCs and FOCs fighting for space. There used to be firebreaks in the timetable, to try and stop any minor delays impacting on other services, but they got eaten up.

That's the problem with most things in this country. We have under-invested for so long there is no contingency.

The problem is that as a public we'll complain about it, but if anyone suggested increasing spending to deal with it they would survive very long. We get what we deserve.

 

[rigsby]

While I shan't comment on the overseas aid bit, I'm not sure how you could "up" the timetable? It's pretty much at capacity, everywhere, what with TOCs and FOCs fighting for space. There used to be firebreaks in the timetable, to try and stop any minor delays impacting on other services, but they got eaten up.

That was just an example. Could have been the £10 billion to Europe, Trident, H2 etc. My point is if fares were cut by 50% it would cost £4 billion per year. BP post profits of around £26 Billion. Bernie Ecclestone avoided £ 2 billion in tax and Phillip Green £1 billion.

How about some proper rail investment. Would create work for the growing number of under 25's sitting around becoming ever more unemployable.

 

[MK Shrimper]

That was just an example. Could have been the £10 billion to Europe, Trident, H2 etc. My point is if fares were cut by 50% it would cost £4 billion per year. BP post profits of around £26 Billion. Bernie Ecclestone avoided £ 2 billion in tax and Phillip Green £1 billion.

But that's paying public tax money directly to a private company for the benefit of the shareholders & directors.....which sort of happens anyway in a roundabout way, so yeah.

How about some proper rail investment. Would create work for the growing number of under 25's sitting around becoming ever more unemployable.

There is a fair bit, notably in the south of the country (CrossRail for example). Who they employ, I have no idea - possibly contractors.

 

[Benfleet A1]

But that's paying public tax money directly to a private company for the benefit of the shareholders & directors.....which sort of happens anyway in a roundabout way, so yeah.



There is a fair bit, notably in the south of the country (CrossRail for example). Who they employ, I have no idea - possibly contractors.

Correct, hence why it's on track for the completion date and why London Underground aren't using their own for the Northern Line extension.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Correct, hence why it's on track for the completion date and why London Underground aren't using their own for the Northern Line extension.

Where is the Northern Line extension going?

 

[Gremlin]

Where is the Northern Line extension going?

South, to Battersea.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/travel-inform...n?cid=northern-line-extension#on-this-page-11