Comparing our fares with fares in Germany

[87015]

£10600 a year is not in the slightest bit expensive for a 150 mile journey (according to a map) that takes just 90 minutes on modern rolling stock. Do this journey 250 days a year and it's comparable to 10 return journeys to New York!

Not in the slightest bit, really? You must be in some job if you consider that not very much. Still over 3x the price of a DB Bahncard 100, I know what I'd consider better value...

 

[nedchester]

Not in the slightest bit, really? You must be in some job if you consider that not very much. Still over 3x the price of a DB Bahncard 100, I know what I'd consider better value...

You beat me to it!!! £10000 is very expensive although this is rip off Britain.

 

[soil]

£10600 a year is not in the slightest bit expensive for a 150 mile journey (according to a map) that takes just 90 minutes on modern rolling stock. Do this journey 250 days a year and it's comparable to 10 return journeys to New York!

Well yes, but not a very flattering analogy since 10 return journeys to New York on, say British Airways, can be had for around £4k, and would earn you BA status, lounge access, etc.

 

[Mr Spock]

Not in the slightest bit, really? You must be in some job if you consider that not very much. Still over 3x the price of a DB Bahncard 100, I know what I'd consider better value...

As we are not in Germany whats the point.

 

[All Line Rover]

Well yes, but not a very flattering analogy since 10 return journeys to New York on, say British Airways, can be had for around £4k, and would earn you BA status, lounge access, etc.

How about an analogy of Exeter to London? Similar distance, almost twice the journey time, much more expensive season tickets, older rolling stock.

 

[soil]

bloody northerners taking money from down south. outrageous.

 

[All Line Rover]

Not in the slightest bit, really? You must be in some job if you consider that not very much. Still over 3x the price of a DB Bahncard 100, I know what I'd consider better value...

It's not that I'm in 'some job', just that I consider this sort of commute to be a luxury! I don't want to go into a debate on German vs British rail fares, but if I was on the sort of salary where I could afford this commute, I'd plump for the 16k/y First Class option no questions asked (with the exception of the question 'why did I pick Crewe to live in out of all places?' ).

 

[6Gman]

It's not that I'm in 'some job', just that I consider this sort of commute to be a luxury! I don't want to go into a debate on German vs British rail fares, but if I was on the sort of salary where I could afford this commute, I'd plump for the 16k/y First Class option no questions asked (with the exception of the question 'why did I pick Crewe to live in out of all places?' ).

Because it's a nice part of the country?

Where you can buy a rural semi with three bedrooms for c.£160,000?

 

[nedchester]

As we are not in Germany whats the point.

The point is that £10000 is a very high price to pay for a yearly season ticket. Germany is a similarly sized country to ours (with a similar economic profile) but our railways charge massively more. Makes you think.

 

[185]

£10600 a year is not in the slightest bit expensive for a 150 mile journey (according to a map) that takes just 90 minutes on modern rolling stock. Do this journey 250 days a year and it's comparable to 10 return journeys to New York!

Ah, but I normally pay £290 return to New York by flying shocking routes on the worst possible carriers, I'd only be paying £2900 lol

 

[martinsh]

Germany is a similarly sized country to ours

Not it's not, it's about 50% larger

Germany 357000 sq km
UK 242000 sq km

 

[Flying Snail]

Because it's a nice part of the country?

Where you can buy a rural semi with three bedrooms for c.£160,000?

And the distance from London is a lrge factor in the relative cheapness of property. The trade-off is that if you wish to commute from there you should expect much higher season prices.

The point is that £10000 is a very high price to pay for a yearly season ticket. Germany is a similarly sized country to ours (with a similar economic profile) but our railways charge massively more. Makes you think.

Makes me think that the price for what you get is not that high. The fact is that mass long distance commuting is a very bad thing in many ways. It is environmentally unfriendly and a huge burden on transport infrastructure. Any way you look at it for someone to be commuting 320+ miles a day is a ridiculous proposition and one that would be completely unsustainable for more than a minute % of London workers. Were the season fares for all such commuting distances reduced to the level you would appear to seem reasonable the added numbers would be far more than the current network would be able to cope with, should the public purse be used to continually improve the infrastructure to facilitate such commuting habits?

 

[Mr Spock]

The point is that £10000 is a very high price to pay for a yearly season ticket. Germany is a similarly sized country to ours (with a similar economic profile) but our railways charge massively more. Makes you think.

We are told how wonderful German railways are compared to ours on a frequent basis but nothing is ever done about so as I said "whats the point" of keep mentioning it.

 

[nedchester]

We are told how wonderful German railways are compared to ours on a frequent basis but nothing is ever done about so as I said "whats the point" of keep mentioning it.

Just to remind people (again) that you get better VFM in Germany than in the UK.

 

[tgsh2011]

Ah, but I normally pay £290 return to New York by flying shocking routes on the worst possible carriers, I'd only be paying £2900 lol

You wouldn't mind PMing me some of these shocking routes would you? I'm very interested!

 

[soil]

London Midland Only to Liverpool, then container ship to New York.

 

[ainsworth74]

London Midland Only to Liverpool, then container ship to New York.

Travelling by freighter (legally at least) is more expensive than you might think.

 

[Mr Spock]

Just to remind people (again) that you get better VFM in Germany than in the UK.

Whatever the VFM is in Germany it makes no difference to what you pay in this country so once again a pointless post.

 

[notadriver]

Is it true German rail workers are paid a lot less than over here ?

 

[All Line Rover]

An annual Season [from Crewe to London on London Midland] is £6240, compared to £10060 with Virgin!

£10600 a year is not in the slightest bit expensive for a 150 mile journey (according to a map) that takes just 90 minutes on modern rolling stock. Do this journey 250 days a year and it's comparable to 10 return journeys to New York!