We'll find out soon enough as PAYG is available between Par and Penzance, as well as the St Ives and Falmouth branch lines. For some reason they've tied in Par to Plymouth with the Mid Cornwall Metro works.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Why is rail travel in Cornwall so cheap ?
- Thread starter eisenach
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Because the other costs, tax, insurance, MOT etc are all fixed costs that I'm paying for anyway as I use the car for work 5 days a week, they don't increase just because I decide to do a long journey. For a lot of journeys, traveling solo the car still works out cheaper.
True, okay let's say 4 people, I've done that before in my standard sized Hyundai I20, luggage space is a bit limited but then, the same could be said for most long distance trains.
But taking the car means you also save on local transport costs and being able to visit places off of the Public Transport Network without the need for a Taxi.
Maybe, but it all adds up. For example depreciation is probably something that you (as an individual passenger) don't need to worry about with a train!
Surely that's really not a relevant comparison?
Exactly. For the record, I don't own a car. However, I realise that nearly every household in this country already has instant access to at least one private motor. As such it's a simple reality that marginal wear and marginal power consumption are the only financial costs that are relevant.
In this day and age you'd risk bangers being screened out by the employer's checks on private motors being used on company business, or even refused insurance for work use.
I believe there is some funding from the council here in Cornwall towards fares and other schemes on the rail.
GWR is part of the Transport for Cornwall scheme, which most will recognise being most predominant on the buses
It’s also towards other costs such as tyres, brake pads and other consumables. Also it will require servicing at a mileage interval, so you’ll need more services if you’re using it for more miles
GWR is part of the Transport for Cornwall scheme, which most will recognise being most predominant on the buses
If you declare the extra Mileage or that that you’re using it in connection to work your insurance premium will increase.
It’s also towards other costs such as tyres, brake pads and other consumables. Also it will require servicing at a mileage interval, so you’ll need more services if you’re using it for more miles
We're talking incentives here though. You personally are free to choose whatever travel options and be influenced by whatever incentives you want to, that's not the point. The point is nobody else is going to be using excel and a chart to understand the depreciation of their vehicle from an extra journey which they could choose to make by train or not. It's totally unrealistic to think people are doing that.
In any case even if someone did that, most people buy cars second or third hand, at quite good value purchase prices, then hold on to them for the longest they possibly can, and kept them well-maintained while doing. As such, depreciation is a very small factor. For those with "flash" cars bought from new the money will be of no consequence anyway.
Sure, but the real cost of rail is completely present (ticket cost) but the cost of running the same journey by car isn't just fuel, but many people feel do make that comparison. Anyway I'll leave it here as it's off-topic.
I didn't suggest it was a work related trip, or even a regular trip, I simply used Birmingham to Bristol as an example.
From my house, to the centre of Bristol is 110 miles approx, so 220, mostly motorway miles return, if I do that a couple of times a year, it's not going to make a material difference to the cost of wear and tear.
Whatever way you spin it, rail travel is the more expensive option.
ChrisC
Established Member
That‘s also a great ticket to use if you are travelling down to Devon or Cornwall by train for a few days holiday. I’ve used it a couple of times when travelling down from Nottingham. For example when I stayed in Plymouth I split my tickets at Cheltenham, Bristol and Tiverton, using the Devon and Cornwall Rover in both directions between Tiverton and Plymouth. I then also had 6 days travel by train included whilst I was down there.
TT-ONR-NRN
Established Member
Walk up fares are the second most expensive in Europe after Norway, according to multiple studies I've seen.
Busaholic
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Jun 2014
- Messages
- 14,091
You can buy a ticket in advance on some days e.g. this Saturday from Penzance to Plymouth for £5. I believe day return tickets with some railcards don't cost much more than the £9.99 I used to pay in the late 1990s! Factoring in the car parking charges in Plymouth plus the outrageous charge to cross the short Tamar Bridge, and of course the fuel, two adults would certainly find it cheaper to travel by train: however, if you went for the shopping experience, the station is both inconveniently situated and unwholesome after dark.
I disagree. It’s no more than a 2-3 minute walk from armada way and the shops. Not many cities have a station so closely located
It's a 15 minute walk minimum from the station to Royal Parade, which is a pretty good central location for the shops. It's very very grim too given the horrible anti-pedestrian walking route out of the station.
Grecian 1998
Member
Worth pointing out that the saving is only really on off-peak day returns - off peak monthly returns are almost twice as expensive.
As has been said upthread, GWR significantly reduced a number of OP day returns when they took over the franchise around 2006-07. I think all day returns within Devon and Cornwall were reduced. For example an Exeter - Penzance OP day return is £27.50. The OP return is £49.30. Not bad for a 260 mile round trip, although not a particularly fast one.
Similarly, day returns around Bristol as far as Taunton, Worcester and Cardiff were also reduced. Possibly also Warminster, but I'm not sure. This is part of the reason that splitting tickets at Cheltenham if travelling from Bristol - Brum on the same day saves a small fortune. Not Bristol - Bath though AFAIK - probably too much of a cash cow.
As has been said upthread, GWR significantly reduced a number of OP day returns when they took over the franchise around 2006-07. I think all day returns within Devon and Cornwall were reduced. For example an Exeter - Penzance OP day return is £27.50. The OP return is £49.30. Not bad for a 260 mile round trip, although not a particularly fast one.
Similarly, day returns around Bristol as far as Taunton, Worcester and Cardiff were also reduced. Possibly also Warminster, but I'm not sure. This is part of the reason that splitting tickets at Cheltenham if travelling from Bristol - Brum on the same day saves a small fortune. Not Bristol - Bath though AFAIK - probably too much of a cash cow.
ikcdab
Member
Most cars depreciate at least £1000 per year - ie a car you buy for £10000 today you might sell for £9000 next year. So thats a fixed cost of at least £3 a day whether you use it or not.
Sir Felix Pole
Member
An earlier poster mentioned that the lack of investment in Cornwall justified the low fares - well the Cornish Metro is about to get underway.
Cornish Metro
I guess we should start a new thread now that it has been approved?
Cornish Metro
I guess we should start a new thread now that it has been approved?
I must admit that I struggle with the points made by @oystercash at times. It's well known that in London there are no off-peak tickets (apart from the travelcard) and that many cash fares are significantly more expensive, especially if priced by TfL. This is to encourage use of PAYG. Practically no-one would make the aforementioned journey using a traditional ticket.
Exactly, it's not like there's a lack of places to get a new Oyster card in those areas and top it up with cash, if one doesn't have a compatible bank card. It can no longer be done at any ticket desks* but everywhere else is still doing it.
*maybe it can at the visitor centres but there are very few of these remaining nowadays.
RPI
Established Member
- Joined
- 6 Dec 2010
- Messages
- 2,762
In 2006 when First were awarded the "Greater Western" franchise, they reduced off-peak fares in Devon and Cornwall by around 40% as part of the franchise agreement, the cheaper fares down here are left over from that.
Devon local fares are reasonable too.
Birmingham <> Bristol includes Cheltenham <> Birmingham which is notoriously expensive.
Cheltenham is nominally mid-way but the fares and fare structure Cheltenham <> Bristol Temple Meads and Cheltenham <> Birmingham New Street are significantly different even though the core service is the same trains and operator.
Because, spread over a year, those additional costs are marginal for an individual journey.
Do what? It's £2.80 peak or £1.90 off peak.
Busaholic
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Jun 2014
- Messages
- 14,091
I would counsel caution given the state of Cornwall Council finances. Local elections, if not a more national one, take place in May and it's quite possible that if the latter took place then the county could go from 100% Tory MPs to 0%. Cornwall Council is under Tory control too. Far be it from me to suggest that GWR are colluding with that majority to provide some pre-election propaganda. In any case, the journey time from Newquay to Truro by train will be a lot longer than by the more frequent bus services and Truro station is not in the city centre, though richw would probably say he could walk it in one minute flat!
No it’s not that far, and it’s not a bad walk for pedestrians neither.
Under 10 mins walk easily.
Google maps shows 8 minute walk to the main shopping streets, but directs out via north road east exit which nobody with local knowledge would do. Leave the station via Saltash road, walk under the subways, which are well lit, and you are in the shopping streets
I don’t have a contactless card and an Oyster card costs £7
Even if that is the case, £7 plus £3.80 is cheaper than paying £13.40.