Train

[sobrique]

Well, out of a sample set of 2 train journeys, both were >25 minutes late.
I appreciate that that's not really a representative sample, but it serves to colour my opinion.
Return trip by train was about 10 minutes. Or would have been, if the train hadn't been 35 minutes late.

Never mind, just about made it to the garage in time to collect my car.

Now, I quite like travelling by train, and would be quite happy with a 45 minute or so journey either way (including the walking) but ... well I'm not as prepared to build a half hour (or more) of 'in case the train is late' time into it. Not when I can reliably make the journey by car, in 30-40 minutes.

Comments

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's trains for you. In principle, I think it'd be a great idea to use them. In practice? Nope, not worth it. Too unreliable, too unpleasant to be in. Too expensive to be worth it.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

I don't know, the recent new trains, especially on the virgin lines, are fairly pleasant to travel on. I'd agree with the rest though. £4.50 return fair (ok, so somewhat less if I weaseled some discount) compares with petrol costs for the round trip. And of course, gets that much worse if it's not just one person travelling.

Add that to unreliable, well, it's not hard to see why we have congestion problems on our roads.

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if you get on a new virgin train they're quite pleasant. Unless, of course, the gal opposite to you is listening to loud dance music on her iPod or the guy next to you hasn't washed in a week or the women across the way is beating on her kids for no good reason or the suit siting behind you is gabbling loudly on his mobile about 'futures in Iberian Yak pelts'...

[jp-lj.livejournal.com]

That's quite bad.

I started commuting Isleworth->Clapham Junction->Gatwick a few months ago and the train's been late about twice.

It's great to be able to read/etc on the train and not have to drive around the M25.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Conceptually, I like trains. Sit on there, do stuff like snooze, read or whatever. Get to wherever, and have a leisurely walk to your endpoint.

Unfortunately, I'm not prepared to double my journey time, pay 'about the same' and have an unreliable journey to deal with. It would seem that a train costs about the same per person as travelling by car would.

[veremit.livejournal.com]

anything beats being stuck on the M25 .. or even for that matter, driving round it! :D

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Precisely why I hate trains. I like being able to sit and read on my journey, have a wee without stopping travelling, maybe even sit on a comfortable non-broken seat that isn't encrusted with chewing gum, but I am not happy with spending half a day sitting in a smelly station with squealing children so I can't even read papers, because of other people's fuckups.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Sitting around at stations is no fun at all. Doing so when you're worried about being late is a sever frustration. (Had to get to the garage to collect my car by 17:30. Just about made it, but it was a lot closer than I'd intended)

[veremit.livejournal.com]

Which is why every driver in this country owns and runs a car, and why Service Stations are so popular on our main routes!

[veremit.livejournal.com]

though to be honest I prefer finding a supermarket cafe just -off- the major routes for a much similar product for a fraction of the price.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

I've always quite liked service stations. They're like, places where such a lot of people pass by.

I'd agree though. In my opinion, it _shouldn't_ be necessary to own a car. As it is though, you're severely limited without one.

[jorune.livejournal.com]

Trains are the gateway drug to a more chilled existence. They're late from time to time but so are cars. There's an illusion that cars make you free. Once the day is done then I can relax in a train, read, rest, listen to music. I get discounts on train travel for buying season tickets, who gives that for Petrol. Plus it's more environmentally friendly.

Cars give you freedom but also a negative vibe in costs.