Rail fares.

[Captain Kong]

I have been on the Tinternet trying to find cheap train tickets from Bolton, ten miles from Manchester, to go to Southampton.
The cheapest fare for the two of us will be £404 pounds return.
So I will have to go by car, seven gallons at around £6 a gallon is around £42 rwturn around £84 .
No contest.
Cheers
Brian.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates Hi Captain Kong, The railways after the sell off ,are not a cheap or a good form of transport I untook a small journey a few weeks ago from Cardiff to bristol The train was dirty overcrowded and smelly and the food trolley was put into a locked toilet on the train to store when his shift was over? he jump off train at a station? so no toilet for passengers? what would the H.S.A. agency make of that one? When the trains go eletric the fares will be beyond the reach of many people.We had a good system a few years ago I like many seaman traveled every where by train in those days to join ships and go home after payoff but the rail service is not good today.

[Tony Wilding]

Hi Brian, since The Railways were Privatized the Fares have gone crazy, service gone down hill, so many different fares for the same journey, we have the dearest fares in Europe, because of being sold to Private Companies, Railways should be owned and run by the Nation as an Essential Service, with cheap fares for all, now all that matters is big salaries for the Rail Company Bosses and dividends for shareholders, i cant afford to travel by rail either, went to London Airport last week 2 people there and 3 back, 175 miles round trip,put £30 of Diesel in my car, does 50 mpg. rail fares would have been about £140, Rail Travel Abroad is so cheap.

[alf corbyn]

before the railways were nationalised in the fifties-sixties?. the fares were very cheap. after they were nationalised , many routes were shut down: not profitable for the ministers who were pocketing the profits;if any. now they are privatised its "how much can we cream the public for" go by car, stop when you want. start a car sharing scheme. advertise your trip and see who would like to share a car/petrol etc.. it probably won't be long before they re-nationalise the railways now the money is rolling in.

[Gulliver]

Well Brian,I don’t have a car,(by choice)so I always let the train take the strain.
I always use the National Rail Enquiries and Fares site-like I think you did?- and also came up with £404 for two standard return.However that is an Anytime Fare.
If you travel after 0930 on M-F,or anytime on Sat or Sun the Off Peak return comes down to £169.80 for two.
However,buy a Senior Railcard (£28.00each -valid for a year)and your fares for two come down to £131.10.
I make your fuel cost by road similar to yours -£81.00 excluding running costs and wear and tear on the driver.That’s assuming 35 mpg and 470 miles return @£1.32.5p per litre.

Fares fair-excuse the pun.!
For me it’s a no-brainer-the train despite being more expensive is far less hassle-long drives especially on motorways and A-Roads are so stressful.

Cheers ! -I can have a drink on the train too !Cheers Wine.gif

PS. I’ve said it before in various threads-and been shot down in flames-I’m anti-car- and in a minority.

To me you can never prise people out of their cars- it’s like smoking-no matter how much the price of fags is increased people will still smoke,and no matter how much fuel prices are increased,motorists will still want to own a car.
I think even if the rail companies reduced the fares ,or even made them free !- car-owners will still want to travel within their own little shells on wheels…
It’s a problem for this overcrowded island akin to the immigration problem

　
Bon Voyage!
45110 Engine.gifJalopy.gif

[j.sabourn]

Brian the wife and self went to Kalgoorlie 2 weeks ago for the weekend. It is a 6 and a half hour train journey and cost us nothing. Pensioners get one free trip anywhere in Western Australia once a year, also local buses and trains are free. I asked what the train would have cost and is 80 dollars one way about 60 quid I think at present exchange rate. My only recollection of the trains in UK was British Rail, have never travelled on them since they were privatized, at those prices dont think ever will. How can an old age pensioner afford such? Cheers John Sabourn.

[Captain Kong]

Thanks for all that feed back Gents.
There are 28 different train operators across Great Britain. many are foreign owned, such as Germany and France etc.
It is little wonder the prices are so high, every one of them want a slice of the action. and profits.
They should be Nationalised and real prices charged.
I will be traveling by car methinks, I am in control and can start when I want to, not by some foreign owned Time Table. I can come off the motor way when ever I feel like it and do a bit of sight seeing. I did that last year and we went to look at Tewkesbury Abbey, fascinating. then carried on. cant do that on the train.
If the rail fares were the same as the car then I might use them.
Thanks for the input
Cheers
Brian.

[Captain Kong]

Hi John we were in Kalgoorlie in March this year, came up from Esperence through Norseman, lovely town, my brother was chased out of town by the lone Policeman in 1964, His Irish mate had filled him in.
I have been to Kalgoorlie several times. One time I went to the Exchange Hotel there , they had on alternative days , Top less and then Bottomless Barmaids, always very interesting.I was surprised to see the Exchange Hotel being closed and up for auction, I wanted to buy it but She said `No`
Here is a photo of `Norseman` the horse who discovered the gold, The Big Pit, Kalgoorlie and the EXCHANGE HOTEL Kalgoorlie. You can just see the AUCTION SIGN over my shoulder. We had hired a car in Perth.
Yes you are lucky to have that concession,
Cheers Brian

[Doc Vernon]

Pretty costly Capt
Would be great to see you again though,have you looked at this site!
2nd Class at 100 GBP ??
Cheers

Cheap train tickets, get UK train times & fares | thetrainline

Here too
http://www.raileurope.com.au/spip.ph...e_oper=results

Just an example Capt!!

[Captain Gordon Whittaker]

Try booking in advance,( 21 days or so), and invest in a Railcard or Disabled Railcard. They then issue a set of single tickets at very low price, with a reserved seat, but only on specific trains. Kath and I travelled from Norfolk to Edinburgh recently for £39 each !(Return fare). They will do this at any Station.look up :- trainline.com