WTF? 11-15% Rail Fare price hike?

[Scouse]

I swapped 10 years of 2 hours a day commuting to Heathrow from Hampshire for a life in Dubai. I live 10 minutes from work and would never go back that old life.

So tempted to join ya

 

[Ormorof]

as Toht mentioned here in Helsinki area its pretty reasonable, plus as a student i get 50% discount on my monthly pass w00t

Train fares in UK are absurd, why take a train when its cheaper to fly?

 

[Litmus]

same old story about the railway prices in England, "need to up the fares to maintain/upgrade the lines" they've been using the same excuse since I can remember. We should have the best train system in the world by now with the amount they have ripped the public off

 

[Raven]

Remember they also have to pay train drivers 40k (or whatever it is). It's such hard, pressured work you see.

 

[ECA]

I don't fuckin understand our rail system, just steal whatever method the germans use as it's cheap and awesome.

 

[cHodAX]

Train drivers aren't the issue, they are in a risky job and often the first to die in an accident. The conductors getting 28k basic + overtime + bonuses doesn't help though. Then you have Piccadilly Manchester, no automated ticket checks, all done manually by 2-3 staff at the end of each platform. That is probably 20 staff who aren't really needed in just one station. The biggest problem with the rail system is the outsourcing and project management, they often overspend 2-3 times the budgeted price and it gets hidden by Network Rail. They have pissed away the best part of £6 billion since 2004 and that would have paid for a fuckload of the upgrades we actually need.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

So tempted to join ya

And you think our government is bad. Lulz.

 

[cHodAX]

I don't fuckin understand our rail system, just steal whatever method the germans use as it's cheap and awesome.

They Germans use a centralised system the same as we do, they just don't allow middle management to get away with massive overspends or fund projects that have no real return value.

 

[Scouse]

And you think our government is bad. Lulz.

Nah - their government is worse - but I'd end up in the don't-pay-tax-and-ridiculously-priviledged sect

 

[Tom]

I have little to no sympathy. If you choose to live 50 miles from your workplace then you should accept that it's going to be expensive to get there and back. If you don't like it, move closer and buy a bicycle.

I'd love to know what similar tickets cost 30 years ago. I suspect they were a damn site more expensive than most people think. Railway travel has always been expensive. And comparisons with other countries, especially Sweden (where high taxes are ubiquitous) aren't particularly helpful.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

I have little to no sympathy. If you choose to live 50 miles from your workplace then you should accept that it's going to be expensive to get there and back. If you don't like it, move closer and buy a bicycle.

OK, I'll set you a challenge. You live and work in Zone 1, this is the only place you can get a job. You're paid ~£20k. Just *try* and move anywhere close to it. Go on, try.

 

[Scouse]

Remember they also have to pay train drivers 40k (or whatever it is). It's such hard, pressured work you see.

It's hardly the train drivers wages that are responsible for the costs...

OK, I'll set you a challenge. You live and work in Zone 1, this is the only place you can get a job. You're paid ~£20k. Just *try* and move anywhere close to it. Go on, try.

To be fair, you could move up north and live like a king.

But I do support your argument. You shouldn't have to leave your friends and family just so you can afford to travel into work...

 

[ECA]

Can you even live on 20k in london?

 

[Chilly]

OK, I'll set you a challenge. You live and work in Zone 1, this is the only place you can get a job. You're paid ~£20k. Just *try* and move anywhere close to it. Go on, try.

You can move anywhere a few miles out and cycle in. That's completely doable - 5-10 miles each way a day is piss all. I'm a fat bastard and did Ealing<->Marble Arch for a few months no worries and that's got one hill (Notting Hill) and some traffic lights. 8 miles from, say, soho is 85% of the housing stock in greater london, I'd wager.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

To be fair, you could move up north and live like a king.

On the jobs that don't exist?

 

[Scouse]

On the jobs that don't exist?

Good jobs are hard come by, not cheapo £20k ones

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Can you even live on 20k in london?

Yes. Despite the relatively low income, not all of us require 3 skiing holidays or suitcases lined with gold

You can move anywhere a few miles out and cycle in. That's completely doable - 5-10 miles each way a day is piss all. I'm a fat bastard and did Ealing<->Marble Arch for a few months no worries and that's got one hill (Notting Hill) and some traffic lights. 8 miles from, say, soho is 85% of the housing stock in greater london, I'd wager.

I'm 15 miles away but cycle route would be more like 20. Not doable given that it would take longer than public transport. I'm not the only one in the household who needs to travel to work, so we're in a location where I can get to central London and the girlfriend can get to her work about 5 miles away.

 

[Tom]

OK, I'll set you a challenge. You live and work in Zone 1, this is the only place you can get a job. You're paid ~£20k. Just *try* and move anywhere close to it. Go on, try.

How can I move to somewhere I already live?

I'm 15 miles away but cycle route would be more like 20. Not doable given that it would take longer than public transport.

My minimum daily bike ride is 23.5 miles over fairly hilly terrain which I complete in about 80 minutes. 20 miles is fuck all, you just don't want to admit that rather than do a bit of exercise, you prefer to spend thousands annually on sitting in a hot room with a load of smelly disease-ridden other fatties.

 

[Nate]

Bring in a sleeping bag!

 

[taB]

Started commuting at the beginning of the year. 22% of my takehome currently goes on rail fare (1 hour each way). Interestingly the amount I pay has dropped twice since Jan. Once for a monthly DD scheme which saved about £30 a month and I just found out that that amount has reduced again with no apparent reason. So I've paid £80 less than I was in Jan this month. Fully expecting it to go back up again soon. The price of rail in no way reflects the service which is abysmal to say the least. At least I can claim cash back on my delayed journeys rather than travel vouchers.

Rail travel is just one of those bloody things that I can do naff all about so while it's annoying it was my choice to change jobs and I've just got to suck it up.

 

[cHodAX]

sitting in a hot room with a load of smelly disease-ridden other fatties.

Racist! Fatties are people too! Some of them are even two people in one body!

 

[Scouse]

How can I move to somewhere I already live?

You live in Manc don't ya Tom?

 

[DaGaffer]

So tempted to join ya

I would if I saw a job over there. I'm in a couple of Middle East forums on LinkedIn keeping an eye out.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

How can I move to somewhere I already live?

Dear Lord, Scouse levels of pedantry. It's a hypothetical situation to you in case you hadn't figured that out.

My minimum daily bike ride is 23.5 miles over fairly hilly terrain which I complete in about 80 minutes. 20 miles is fuck all, you just don't want to admit that rather than do a bit of exercise, you prefer to spend thousands annually on sitting in a hot room with a load of smelly disease-ridden other fatties.

Do a bit of exercise You're a moron sometimes you really are. I play football 3 times a week and gym 2-3 times a week. I exercise more than most people I know and am very fit. 80 minutes would greatly increase my commute time, which is already too long for my liking. Maybe you should realise that not everyone's situation is like yours and that cycling isn't necessarily a viable option, especially one that's constrained heavily with time.

 

[cHodAX]

I wouldn't ride the roads near me into Manchester, too many cyclists killed every year due to a terrible cycling lane system that was never finished. Half a dozen places along the main routes with flowers and tributes. No thanks, as much I would like to cycle in and save myself a nice amount of cash it just isn't worth the risk on my side of Manchester.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

I wouldn't have a problem with the danger, done it many times before but it's the stop-start nature of the ride due to the route that would have to be taken. I'd be stopped at lights every 2 minutes. The journey would take SO long on a bike.

 

[Yoni]

I'm not sure what kind of work any of you really do however it strikes me that there is a little divide here between those who want to maximise the numbers of hours they work in a day by not wasting their time cycling for 80 mins (not sure I'd that is one way or both) and those who do not work to time constraints. Personally if I can walk it I will but not so it compromises the number of hours I need to be actually working...

 

[Chilly]

Well I just retired so I couldn't give a fuck either way I just like moaning on the internet.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

I'm not sure what kind of work any of you really do however it strikes me that there is a little divide here between those who want to maximise the numbers of hours they work in a day by not wasting their time cycling for 80 mins (not sure I'd that is one way or both) and those who do not work to time constraints. Personally if I can walk it I will but not so it compromises the number of hours I need to be actually working...

I could easily walk to and from work. Would take about 5 hours each way though. I GUESS I'M JUST A LAZY FATTY EH TOM

 

[Yoni]

I could easily walk to and from work. Would take about 5 hours each way though. I GUESS I'M JUST A LAZY FATTY EH TOM

*laughs*

I just do not want to spend all day travelling, I have to fly once or twice a week that is bloody annoying the rest of the week I prefer taking the tube and arriving within 15 mins including a short 1.2km walk even in sub zero temperatures...