Super Commuters

[westv]

Of course the other downside with the daily super commute is the huge cost of travel. If I were to endure daily travel it'd cost around £14k a year plus transport to/ from station every day. Mon and Fri commuting and London room all in rent cost me around £10k.

 

[Mag_seven]

Newcastle - London seems a regular commute as does Preston - London. I remember a Waterloo Driver living at Crewe years ago as well.

We should discount railway staff traveling on free passes from this thread - should be confined to those paying the full whack.

 

[antharro]

I used to know a regular commuter who would travel from Parkstone (Dorset) to Waterloo, then on to Canary Wharf and back every day. He would get a 5am train up, then the 1935 back, apparently leaving him just enough time to get a cab home, check his kids were fast asleep, eat, sleep, get up and repeat. Didn't seem like a fun idea to me, and that schedule, along with the three or four G&Ts he would drink on the way home didn't bode well for his long term health, I thought!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

I met someone who commuted from Worcester to London every day. Nothing too outlandish apart from the fact he slept at the end of the Quiet Carriage and snored.

 

[Ianno87]

A similar programme a few years back told the story of a guy who commuted from Ramsbottom (Lancs) to The City every day (driving to Stockport via the M60, then Pendolino). The much, much cheaper house prices made it worthwhile.

 

[anti-pacer]

A similar programme a few years back told the story of a guy who commuted from Ramsbottom (Lancs) to The City every day (driving to Stockport via the M60, then Pendolino). The much, much cheaper house prices made it worthwhile.

That's one hell of a trip.

 

[infobleep]

Of course the other downside with the daily super commute is the huge cost of travel. If I were to endure daily travel it'd cost around £14k a year plus transport to/ from station every day. Mon and Fri commuting and London room all in rent cost me around £10k.

Some long commutes don't cost as much as others did to the family t they are only long because of slow trains; trains not connecting or even not stopping a useful interchange stations are certain times of the day.

If one was to live in Guildford and working in Chertsey, it would take one about an hour station to station. Half of that time would be spent waiting for connecting trains at Woking and Weybridge. I know an hour isn't long but I'm sure there are other longer examples of journeys involving London where the journey time is long but the distance covered is not as great as one might expect for such a long journey time.

Not sure if Guildford to Harrow would count as a long journey compared to distance.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

 

[RichmondCommu]

A similar programme a few years back told the story of a guy who commuted from Ramsbottom (Lancs) to The City every day (driving to Stockport via the M60, then Pendolino). The much, much cheaper house prices made it worthwhile.

I wonder if might have been cheaper for him to rent room in a shared house Monday to Friday.

I can only imagine that he must have been waking up at around 04.00 Monday to Friday which can't have been easy.

 

[aviator]

Of course the other downside with the daily super commute is the huge cost of travel. If I were to endure daily travel it'd cost around £14k a year plus transport to/ from station every day. Mon and Fri commuting and London room all in rent cost me around £10k.

For nearly 2 years, I commuted daily from London to Worcester:
Clapham North (first train) - Euston - Birmingham NS - Worcester FS

Was only able to afford it because I had a Disabled Railcard which meant off-peak ticket prices. Worked out a lot cheaper than getting a local fla in Worcester. Total commuting time each day over 6 hours, fortunately lived quite close to my local library!

Only once tried to travel from Paddington to WFS via the Cotswolds, delays getting home due to then then-single track sections

 

[Jimini]

About 14 years ago I used to commute from the outskirts of Reading to an office just off Purley Way in Croydon. 35 minute walk to Reading station, train to Paddington, Bakerloo / Victoria line tubes to Victoria (or 36 bus if I was early and the traffic was ok), train to East Croydon, tram to Waddon Marsh and then five minute walk to my final destination. Used to take about two hours dependent on the many connections.

There was a Reading > Clapham Junction > Waddon alternative but it took forever on the rattler from Reading. Same goes for the District line to Wimbledon then tram route. No chance of me doing a crazy journey like that these days!

 

[GodAtum]

Very disappointed I wasn't interviewed for the program. I commute from East Croydon to both Guildford and Marlow. Marlow takes about 3 hours door to door.

 

[Mag_seven]

Most long distance commuting to work in London is necessary because of the bonkers house prices in London - whatever happened to the plan (for government departments at least) to relocate out of London to try and re balance the economy?

 

[DaveTM]

At least as a passenger in a train you can zone out a little. I used to work with a chap who drove from Essex to Bracknell every day. He used to check the traffic before leaving, to work out which half of the M25 was least broken. Setting off at 4:30am his journey in was usually less than 2 hours, but if he didn't get away by 4pm it could take twice that to get home.

 

[Bromley boy]

Interesting thread.

I previously worked with a guy who commuted from Harrogate to London. This wasn't done on a daily basis, he was in a very senior role and an income bracket that meant he maintained a house in zone one as well as the place in Yorkshire where his family were based. But some days he would arrive in the office at 1030 having travelled down from the north on an early train.

I also worked with someone who committed from Bristol to London 5 days per week. This was someone who worked at a large commercial law firm in a non-fee-earning role so earned enough money to make the eye watering expense worthwhile - I dread to think what a peak annual season ticket from Bristol to London would cost - and also only did a strict 9-5.

 

[miami]

I dread to think what a peak annual season ticket from Bristol to London would cost

For a travelcard, about £12k in Standard, £25k in first?

 

[All Line Rover]

This was someone who worked at a large commercial law firm... and also only did a strict 9-5.

Lucky! There aren't many of those about.

 

[Bromley boy]

For a travelcard, about £12k in Standard, £25k in first?

Nice and cheap then! Grossed up for tax and NI, double those figures in terms of earnings to pay for the season ticket.

The office was in Moorgate, so the person in question also had to schlep across London from Paddington, and of course fork out for the appropriate rail card.

More money than sense?!

 

[Bromley boy]

Lucky! There aren't many of those about.

Very true. The person in question was a professional support lawyer.

My personal record on a deal was three days straight with no sleep, round-Robbin taxi home for SSS and a new shirt. Can't say I miss it.

 

[Abpj17]

Nice and cheap then! Grossed up for tax and NI, double those figures in terms of earnings to pay for the season ticket.

The office was in Moorgate, so the person in question also had to schlep across London from Paddington, and of course fork out for the appropriate rail card.

More money than sense?!

I wonder if I know them both.

Anyways, Paddington to Moorgate isn't too bad as can use the circle/district lines without a change.

I also wonder how many of the longer distance ones on very high salaries travel in first class to guarantee more peace and quiet/food/tables to make for a more productive journey.

 

[All Line Rover]

GWR's first class season tickets are horrendously expensive, particularly as they don't offer a proper breakfast (even if you are willing to pay for it), unlike VTWC, EMT and (VT)EC who all offer complimentary breakfasts (Peterborough passengers excepted on VTEC, which is unfortunate as they used to be able to purchase a reasonably priced breakfast from the dining car).

The London commuter TOCs don't offer food or drink to first class passengers, but they only charge a 50% premium, not the 120% premium charged by GWR (VTWC, EMT and VTEC all hover around 70%).

 

[All Line Rover]

I also wonder how many of the longer distance ones on very high salaries travel in first class to guarantee more peace and quiet/food/tables to make for a more productive journey.

A surprising number of partners seem(ed) to commute from Peterborough, which always seemed like a pleasant commute to me until the meals were scrapped.

Harpenden is now more convenient, despite being served by Thameslink.

 

[Bromley boy]

I wonder if I know them both.

Anyways, Paddington to Moorgate isn't too bad as can use the circle/district lines without a change.

I also wonder how many of the longer distance ones on very high salaries travel in first class to guarantee more peace and quiet/food/tables to make for a more productive journey.

If you work at one bunhill row you may know the PSL.

The other person I mentioned who commuted from Harrogate was partner level, at a big 4. Worked on the train and sent emails by the dozen on his journey down to London. Most notable in the office for loudly instructing his secretary to refill his tea cup and book his train tickets. Interspersed with "mad professor" moments of corporate tax brilliance...

 

[[.n]]

That's very cryptic - stations / towns or at least counties?

The scotland based commuters I know all fly - mostly M - Th type arrangements and ex RBS/HBOS (but not the particularly high net worth ones).

Closer, I know plenty with M - Th or M - F patterns from various towns in the North. I know daily commuters from as far as Norwich and Cotswold villages in London.

The above stay over in London during the week, or in some case the dormitory towns around London (as far out as Luton in one case).

I'm not sure they suffer as much as the closer-to-London-but-stuck-with-GTR commuters!

Sorry wasn't being deliberately cryptic. My commute is from West Dorset to London. So I take either the 1st or 2nd train of the day and quite often the 2nd last train of the day home.

In: Bus (or taxi/lift occasionally), Train and then Tube
Back: Tube, train, then taxi (no buses at that time of the evening, as the service is rubbish and finishes really early)

total travel time (door to door)in an average day - 8.5 hours

 

[PHILIPE]

Another one I remember is a person commuting from Ebbw Vale to a Freight TOC at Willesden on regular shift work. He drove from Ebbw Vale to Newport (pre re-opening of the line), train to Paddington and Tube to Willesden.

 

[HH]

Back in the days of Great Eastern one guy commuted from Weston-Super-Mare to Liverpool Street every day, which is the worst commute I've personally known; well over 3 hours door to door.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've done MKC/Bletchley to Staines and Slough which are both about 2.5 hours door to door. I didn't really mind it, to be honest, except for arriving home so late (after 8pm) that there was basically no useful evening. Really when commuting I like to get home by about 7 so the evening is still usable.

 

[whittlesfordok]

Use to do Whittlesford to East Grinsted once every other week use to take with walking from Liverpool Street to London Bridge about 3 hours there and 3 hours back but no Dartford Tunnel or Tube.
My worst there and back was Cambridge to Cardigan by car and full days work that was 10hours driving mad.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Use to do Whittlesford to East Grinsted once every other week use to take with walking from Liverpool Street to London Bridge about 3 hours there and 3 hours back but no Dartford Tunnel or Tube.
My worst there and back was Cambridge to Cardigan by car and full days work that was 10hours driving mad.

I absolutely would not do that under any circumstances. I did start off doing Slough by car (it's an hour quicker and half the price) but I found I was making potentially lethal mistakes due to tiredness, particularly on the way home, so for a commute like that it's train or not at all. That decision was made after a potential collision due to my error was only avoided by the actions of the other driver.

I think given that the longest car commute I would now consider would be about an hour. Beyond that (assuming train or other public transport was not feasible) and I'd have to consider temporary accommodation and weekly commuting.

 

[anti-pacer]

My brother commuted daily from Coventry to London on various IT contracts he worked on. His shortest commute was to Soho Square, his longest to Wembley Stadium.

I have a friend I've known from school who moved up to Carrbridge in the Highlands. He commutes regularly to Bognor Regis, which involves a drive to Inverness Airport, flight to Gatwick, then the train to Bognor. He hasn't done it for a while though, probably due to Southern Railways.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have a friend I've known from school who moved up to Carrbridge in the Highlands. He commutes regularly to Bognor Regis, which involves a drive to Inverness Airport, flight to Gatwick, then the train to Bognor. He hasn't done it for a while though, probably due to Southern Railways.

Is that a weekly commute, though? I did Bletchley to Vevey (Switzerland) weekly for 2 years, and I've done others too. That's a different game, it tends to involve having short working days on Mondays and Fridays (or Thursdays if you do Friday from home) but longer Tuesdays and Wednesdays to make it up.