Why people DO travel by train...

[Dougal2345]

Just to "invert" the Why people don't travel by train thread if I may, and give some reasons why this person does travel by train.

I'm a single person who's never learnt to drive. Pre Covid I commuted daily to work by train and would usually have a day trip by train on Saturday, and maybe Sunday too. Since Covid the commuting has stopped but the weekend jaunts continue.

I haven't crunched the numbers, but I suspect if I owned and ran a car the same lifestyle would be a good deal more expensive, it would certainly be more stressful and a lot more polluting, and more dangerous to myself and others.

The only fly in the ointment at the moment are the regular and seemingly pointless strikes.

And of course I'm lucky to live in the Network Card area... if I lived in the benighted remainder of the country I wouldn't enjoy paying 50% more for my leisure travel.

 

[yorkie]

Yes I have also chosen not to drive.

I have seen too many people become lazy and unfit and am determined not to let that happen to me; one of my decisions not to drive was that I feared becoming lazy and dependent on the car. I cycle/walk everywhere locally, take the train for longer distances, occasionally I'll require a bus and frequently take trains. I am also a football coach (about 4-5 hrs a week; not my main job!) and I play 1-3 hours of football per week, so I needn't worry but I want to maintain that. I am also left-leaning and a big supporter of green transport and I'd like to see our society become more fit, active and less car-centric/dependent.

The railway needs to work harder to retain some passengers, whereas someone like me will keep coming back and I get the impression the rail industry generally speaking doesn't really value my custom and takes it for granted. Sadly in my case they are mostly right (though I do sometimes have a choice of route).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For certain trips, it can be cheaper, quicker and less tiring than driving, for example, day return journeys from North West England to/from Central Scotland via the WCML.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I always choose to travel by train when the option is avaliable (even when it takes triple as long).
It's always a much more enjoyable journey than being in the car would be, the car is so much smaller.

Also my parents are (for now at least) willing to pay for trains on leisure journeys, so it's an easy choice for me.

 

[BrianW]

'Push factors'- the M6, M5, A303, traffic, jams, 'disruptions' ...
'Pull factors'- the views eg Scotland, Devon; onboard trolley, no driving stress

Sadly offset by unreliability, overcrowding, boorish behaviours

 

[Techniquest]

One thing I use the trains for is to take a cycle with me to go exploring. Similarly taking me on power-walking/hiking/running expeditions. It's certainly more fun than the bus, which I can't take a cycle on of course.

Once upon a time, it was just the fun of the railway that kept me coming back, but these days it's handy for combining both an interest in the railway and going on exploring trips.

Things that attract me to the railway, generally speaking, these days are:

1) First Class, when I can afford to do it. Sometimes the fare difference is just way too much to accept!

2) On a related note, First Class lounges. A good lounge makes the big difference!

3) Comfortable seats! Very subjective I know, and I won't open that can of worms here.

4) On-board catering. Whether it's a buffet car, at-seat trolley service or First Class host bringing goodies, I do like having catering facilities available. I don't always have time to pick up something before a journey, or I might have simply forgot, the shops weren't open or whatever. If I'm on a lengthy journey, then I want on-board catering and I often take advantage of it. It's not cheap, but it's worth it

5) Speed of the journey. Sometimes National Express win on cost, or departure time, but it's not as enjoyable as the train. Charging along the GWML, for example, is so much more fun than cruising along the M4!

6) Convenience. Similar to number 5, I love National Express for their departure time on occasion, but Victoria Coach Station is rarely where I want to go to. Euston or Paddington, much more so and especially so with Paddington as it is my most favourite station anywhere in the world. Similar for places like Birmingham or Manchester, the train takes me to the part of the city I generally want to go to.

7) Cost/value for money. Yes, a lot of fares are really crazy but sometimes there are some good deals out there. I can't drive (multiple reasons) but I also choose not to drive for environmental reasons. If I did, and I wanted to go to Manchester, the train would cost me £66.30 (I think the pence bit is accurate) for an Off Peak Return from Hereford to Manchester. It's certainly not cheap, but it's worth bearing in mind it's well over 100 miles each way and I'd drive myself insane if I tried to drive it. I get bad enough road rage when I'm cycling!

The way I look at it, that's £33.15 each way for a 114 miles and something chains journey. Now I don't know for sure how much a 228 mile round trip would take in fuel, but let's average it at £40. Just for fun, as I cannot be bothered working out the numbers. Add in parking, again let's say that's £10 for the day for somewhere central. I'm expecting it's more than that, but again let's estimate. Already that's £50, and the hassle, stress and anxiety of driving would not be worth £16.30 of savings!

The train is absolutely more convenient and much less hassle than driving would be. Even if I could drive, it's simply not worth the hassle. £66-odd for a 228 mile round trip, in a generally more relaxed environment, absolutely worth it. Obviously I prefer to spend less than that, and on day trips I'd split ticket it down to a more reasonable amount, which makes the train even better value!

 

[railfan99]

Not driving and never owning a car was the best financial decision I ever made, even though many in my nation think I am mad. They may have a point.

 

[david1212]

As life and employment has panned out not owning a car to get to/from work has never been practical due to door-to-door time by bus never mind rail aside from the actual service times and frequency.
For my current job I've not looked for a while at earliest and latest times but when I last did door-to-door including the walk each end about 2 hours. Earliest arrival after 9am and would have to leave 5pm so over an hour short. Driving is typically 20 minutes.

For leisure and more so longer distance driving is the last resort and rail first choice. However the cost then compared to 5 years ago less frequent services, poorer connections, shorter formations, cancellations and strike days make rail significantly less attractive. The bottom line is I now take fewer leisure trips.

 

[Essan]

Like others, I have never taken a driving test. And I don't need to travel often enough to make a car financially viable anyway. When I travel long distance I am often carrying items that cannot be taken on an aircraft (ie camping gas cylinders) in an expensive rucksack which is not entirely suitable for airport luggage carousels etc, and I would still need to get to an airport by train and then from the airport to my destination in the Highlands, which may still be a bit quicker and cheaper but is not quite so straightforward as, for example, someone flying from London to Edinburgh for a business meeting.

And having used trains almost all my life I know what I am doing and what options there are if a train is cancelled or delayed.

Trains are also far more environmentally friendly than aircraft (or cars).

 

[sh24]

I can work for 3-4 hours (albeit with GWR's very flaky wifi) and still be in good shape at the other end. Arrive in Plymouth after the drive from Central London and you need a good lie down.

 

[LampPete]

I can drive, have a car and dont have any anxiety issues with driving to big cities. I take the train into london (100miles) for meetings etc if the timings work. Its just nicer to do. Issues arise tho when the meeting is in the morning because the train becomes way to expensive. and as soon as there is a second person involved then its way cheeper to drive and park somewhere in north London.
I like taking the train but its nearly always inconvenient. I have to go cardiff on tuesday for a site visit. Im torn between car and train. Both take about the same time, but the train is £80 or over £100 if I get a better time. But if I wait until the day to decide then it will be way to much.
Its a shame because there is loads of times I would use the train but they dont help themselves with prices and last train times.

 

[BrianW]

I can work for 3-4 hours (albeit with GWR's very flaky wifi) and still be in good shape at the other end. Arrive in Plymouth after the drive from Central London and you need a good lie down.

Welcome to the Forum. Glad you have a good trip tp Plymouth (give ir take the wifi!). You may find the thread regarding speeding up London-Penzance of interest?:

How can Paddington - Penzance services be sped up

St. Austell is the biggest town in Cornwall (2021 Census) after all. Par attracts passengers as the nearest point to Fowey, as Lostwithiel has a poorer service.

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[317 forever]

Speed and/or a simpler connection than by coach.

For example, in different days in July I travelled from Stockport to Leicester for leisure and to Watford for business.

 

[156421]

Barring Scotrail, one can drink on trains. Not advisable if driving.

 

[thaitransit]

I tend perfer trains on long distance journeys as its more relaxing and less stressful than driving. But the train needs to be spacious and comfortable with great onboard food and drinks. On time running is less of a factor here as long as its not excessive eg more than 1 hour late.

For urban journeys I prefer bus or uber as i generally find metro trains highly unreliable despite longer journeys by road they often are more reliable than 30 plus minute delays that occur multiple times a week on the trains!

 

[Trackman]

Value for money and no stress factor for me.
Being interested in railways actually makes it a relaxing treat. I can't see myself thinking the same when driving from London to Preston - quite the opposite.

 

[RuddA]

As a family of 4 using a railcard helps.
Even if it is slightly more expensive to use the train than to drive I still prefer to take the train. The train journey can be an enjoyable part of the holiday/dayout rather than having to sit behind the wheel.
I can enjoy the scenery, relax, play games with the children.
Sometimes it is the lack of public transport at the destination that forces me to drive, rather than the train journey/cost.

 

[noddy1878]

In the main I love catching the train and I would love to catch the train more but as others have pointed out the cost is prohibitive at times. I drive to work (60 miles round trip each day) and it used to cost me roughly £10 a day in fuel. I have a Devon and Cornwall railcard and when I was on a late shift I caught the train as it saved me about £4. If I got the peak time train it would cost me £8 more! And that would be despite the train literally being empty for most of the journey I would do. I was forced to change my car and took the plunge (after a lot of working out and research) and got an EV. Best decision ever. Not only is it easy to drive, the loan I needed to get the car was cheaper than the amount it was costing me in fuel each month. If I need to charge at home it would cost me about £2 to get to and from work worse case scenario. The bonus for me was I discovered I could charge at work and it was free!

As for the trains, even my leisure trips have dwindled (combination of childcare needs and cost as it's my wife who then also needs a ticket and the car is now cheaper) but more importantly, I can't plan anything as there is always the chance of a strike in some form or another. I got away with my last weekend plan (went to Leeds) as the strikes were on days I didn't need to travel on.

 

[Envy123]

Commuting from Peterborough to London every day is feasible if done on the train, not the case when driving all the way.

 

[deltic]

Living in London it is is usually far faster than any other mode of transport - including flying even when travelling to Edinburgh or Glasgow
Less stressful than driving
Less faff than dealing with airport security
More environmentally sustainable
Affordable when travelling off-peak - or picking up advances
Able to work when travelling or read or relax and switch off
Usually fairly comfortable and reliable
Keeps you grounded by seeing all elements of society rather than closing yourself in a bubble in your own car or with generally wealthier individuals who fly

Travelling long distance by train in Europe enables one to get a perspective of other countries, their cultures and economy (interail and Ryanair have done more for European integration than any government policy!)

 

[BwniCymraeg]

I enjoy train journeys, so my commute usually feels pleasant (if tiring!) at the moment, and I’m not sure that feeling would last if I started driving in instead! I haven’t learnt to drive, nor do I think that I could realistically afford lessons and then a car at this stage of my life. Besides, as a few others have brought up, I’m quite left wing and an environmentalist so there’s the dual reason of feeling that public transport is a little bit of a “use it or lose it!” situation, as well as satisfaction with the lower emissions on an EMU compared to a petrol car. One recent development, however, has been the free bus travel for U22s in Scotland, so any long distance travel I’d tend towards taking a coach nowadays just because it’s hard to argue with a free trip and as a student I do not value my time in any way!

 

[birchesgreen]

I can drive but i find it boring after about 30 minutes, i also hate going somewhere not knowing there is a safe place to park.

I also enjoy letting someone else drive me for a change.

 

[urbophile]

I hate driving and feel less confident as I get older. Long distances usually involve motorways which are stressful, and local city journeys depend on finding somewhere cheap and convenient to park. Fortunately my aged person's pass includes free local rail travel, and I have a senior railcard for longer journeys.

But if I had to pay full fares I would still use trains for preference. Just maybe not as often. Driving is antisocial and bad for the environment. It's not even any more reliable: for every cancelled connection or majorly-delayed train, I have experienced as many occasions of being stuck on a motorway for hours because of an incident.

 

[TheSmiths82]

I drive almost every day (20 mile round trip in city traffic) for work but I don't like driving on unfamiliar roads so I get the train (or occasionally the coach) if I am going any distance. Also if I am going away it tends to be big cities and I like a drink so driving just becomes a nuisance. I can relax on the rain (mostly) and also expect to get some discount when it is delayed (which is 50% of the time).

I also like trains and the railway in general, so train travel becomes part of the holiday. Also you don't tend to get a refund for fuel if you get stuck on the M6 for several hours!

 

[RT4038]

Horses for courses. Train to go to London, and usually to go to Birmingham. Sometimes to go to nearby towns, but just as likely to go by car or bus as more convenient. Use the train for a long distance journey (especially if returning that day), but would often not bother with public transport if multiple changes are required. Rarely consider train travel a pleasure.

 

[Egg Centric]

Because I love trains. Objectively the car is better in every "sensible" respect with the exception of journeys into London (and unless it's raining, journies within London I prefer to cycle) and I also like driving so there's no dislike of the car unlike some.

But every single train journey has some magic to me. Even Hatch End to Wembley Central.

Surprised no one else has said this on a rail forum...

 

[yorksrob]

When it works, the train is so easy.

Hop on, find a seat with a window, Bob's your uncle.

The idea of buying, maintaining, driving and parking a car seems like an horrendous, expensive rigmarole.

 

[NoOldEngine]

Yes I have also chosen not to drive.

I have seen too many people become lazy and unfit and am determined not to let that happen to me; one of my decisions not to drive was that I feared becoming lazy and dependent on the car. I cycle/walk everywhere locally, take the train for longer distances, occasionally I'll require a bus and frequently take trains. I am also a football coach (about 4-5 hrs a week; not my main job!) and I play 1-3 hours of football per week, so I needn't worry but I want to maintain that. I am also left-leaning and a big supporter of green transport and I'd like to see our society become more fit, active and less car-centric/dependent.

The railway needs to work harder to retain some passengers, whereas someone like me will keep coming back and I get the impression the rail industry generally speaking doesn't really value my custom and takes it for granted. Sadly in my case they are mostly right (though I do sometimes have a choice of route).

The requirement to work from home has caused many to review having a car. The need to have a car reduces if they work from home and live in an area with supermarkets, shops and have a reasonable cycle / public transport system to allow staff to get into the office one or twice per week.

In my case I do not have good public transport. Arriva cuts have limited the bus service to one bi-directional route, therefore 2 or more buses are needed to reach a nearby major city and is often full, no trains or station available, but there is a nearby motorway junction means the car wins as this motorway goes near the office.

 

[plugwash]

My siblings and I never learned to drive, though my brother is now trying to find a driving instructor. Mum used to drive but gave up for reasons I won't get into here. Dad still drives and we do sometimes go out together by car but that is a small minority of journeys for me.

busses and coaches are slow and I find riding a bus long distances on country roads makes me feel sick. I do use taxis from time to time but it would be prohibitively expensive to use them as my main means of transport. Internal flights are expensive, inflexible and once you take end-effects into account often no quicker than rail travel. So where trains are available they are my default option for getting around. The service where I live is fairly decent, though they make it significantly worse recently. The overall frequency is the same, but the three trains per hour are now bunched together leaving a large gap.

I used to have a disabled pass, but TFGM changed their interpretation of the rules and decided I was no longer eligible. So nowadays I buy an annual county card to cover my local bus and rail travel. When I go outside the area I usually use off-peak tickets as I don't want the extra time and stress of having to catch particular trains.

 

[Falcon1200]

When it works, the train is so easy.

And when it suits the journey being made, of course! But when it does, and all goes to plan there really is no better way to travel. Like yesterday, for example, when I travelled from Oxford to Loughborough and back for the GCR Steam Gala, out via London and back via Birmingham. Every train, on National Rail (GWR, East Midlands Railway, Chiltern trains and Cross Country) was on time, London Underground worked well, and the steam and DMU services on the GCR ran superbly also. In fact the only delay all day was 40 minutes waiting for a bus home from Oxford station (perhaps there shoud be a thread 'why people don't travel by bus.....')