Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Classic Car Show 2024 at NEC

Having booked tickets for my son and myself I thought I ought to decide how to get there. We live near Portsmouth so the thought of driving up the A34 wasn't appealing so looked at taking the train. The train takes just over 3 hours with one or two changes but for the two of us the return fare is £180!!!
Decision was easy, 280 return journey by car at our convenience with car parking at £14.
Who says "let the train take the strain"

We have recently returned from a month in Canada. As our departure day was on Thanksgiving Day with city traffic likely to be even more horrendous than normal, we took the train from Oshawa to Toronto; a 45 minute trip alongside Lake Superior in a double deck train, with seating for everyone and wide sliding doors for easy accessibility.
The fare was the same whatever the time of day; seniors are half the adult price; it cost us the equivalent of just £3.60 each!
When we made an enquiry at Toronto to find the connection out to Pearson airport, the very helpful station attendant informed us that their CEO came from the U.K.
Looks like they have taken all the good ideas with them!

Earlier this month Mrs W and I visited our son in Halifax for a weekend. A few days before we were due to leave our tin-top started to rattle (broken suspension joint, probably due to multiple pothole hits). I looked at the possibility of going up by train and found the return fare for the 6-hour journey from Petersfield was £158 each - so £316 for us both.

Instead, I rented a very plush automatic MG Suv from Enterprise in Waterlooville. The cost: £134 for 4 days plus £80 for fuel, saving over £100. I wonder what is the point of carving HS2 through the middle of the country when nobody can afford to use the rail network we already have.

Precisely Ian, but someone has to pay for the drivers' salaries (average £48,500 with the highest salaries often exceeding £65,000.)
Anyway HS2 was a politicians dream not thought through like much that comes out of Whitehall whichever party.

I heard this on BBC Sounds yesterday: Woman travels to Manchester via Spain to save cash

"Kristina Coulson said flights for two people from Newquay to Málaga and Málaga to Manchester cost about £108, compared with £203 each for the train"

Sadly the latest train drivers pay increase will just make things worse until maybe we get the whole system renationalised, I think the truth is closer to £90k a year (intercity) if you factor in overtime, and sweet deals.

I travelled by train for maybe 25 years and had a senior railcard at the end. Ten years ago it was still possible to book cheap fares in advance. At the time, Grand Central ran from Bradford (I think) to Kings Cross on an early morning commuter special. Non stop from Doncaster so they wanted it full. Once I got £16 out and £26 back.

Looking at it now, distance travel is stupidly expensive and the consequence of placating unions will be fewer jobs in the long term. Railway strikes in the past never ended that well, neither did the miners strikes. Unions are blind to the consequences of high wages. If customers don't get an equivalent income you have no customers. It's not rocket science.

Few years ago, we hired a cruiser on the Caledonian canal. It was cheaper to hire a car and leave it parked at Inverness for a week than buy two return train tickets.

But not the sandwiches Bob!

Or the famous DJ