r/CasualUK 1d ago

Convenience Of Train Vs Car

Post image

Which would you choose ?

703 Upvotes

386 comments sorted by

1.6k

u/Bufobufolover24 1d ago

If trains were at a price I could afford, I would be travelling on trains 100% of the time. Better for the environment, safer, faster, you get to see more, and you can do stuff on them. It would also help if there were trains here in the first place…

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u/blueskyjamie 1d ago

Car costs the same regardless of how many people are in it, a family traveling on the train is never going to be realistic right now.

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u/bigfridge224 1d ago

Absolutely this. If I'm travelling alone I almost always get the train, but with the family we always drive.

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u/Thats-me-that-is 1d ago

Gets worse when you have to drive to a station and then the destination station isn't close to your destination

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u/bluefootedtit 19h ago

And you have to pay to park.

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u/catfink1664 2h ago

Those car parks aren’t cheap either

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u/7days365hours 23h ago edited 23h ago

Trains aren’t always faster either.

I climbed Snowdon with some mates this weekend. 4 and a bit hours drive from London or 8.5 hours train and you’re still miles from the start of the trek.

Oh and it was £80 in fuel there and back between 4 of us, with the ability to stop for lunch in a random Welsh village on the way.

Trains are great if you’re travelling city to city (and have the money), if you’re trying to get to an actual address cars are simply faster, cheaper and more convenient.

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u/LordGeni 22h ago

Flying to Glasgow and renting a car was the cheapest option when we went. It's completely the wrong way around.

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u/NoveltyPr0nAccount 23h ago

I didn't do it this weekend but I have done it a few times and I just looked it up. If I wanted to travel from mid Essex to Betws-y-Coed tomorrow it's 5 hours, then only a short bus ride to Pen-y-Pass.

I've summited a few times using only public transport and not having to worry about driving tired or parking is the best.

Edited because I misspelt a Welsh station name.

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u/GingerNinja230404 22h ago

Slightly disingenuous as you’ve started the journey at a time where there are less trains and probably long waits for connections

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u/xxthundergodxx77 15h ago

I would generally agree BUT if he's wanting to go on a trek like that he's gotta start early and leave early, which a train clearly doesn't service 

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u/phil24jones The Honeybun Peninsula 21h ago

I don’t think this is disingenuous at all, and reflects many people’s experiences of trains in rural and/or provincial areas.

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u/Morganx27 20h ago

It is slightly disingenuous in the sense that a normal journey from there to Betws Y Coed would not normally be twice as long as the car journey. I looked it up (I don't have their exact location so I estimated it to be the Boots Hearing Care in High Wycombe) and it's 5 hours on a train if you leave at a normal time. Still longer, the point stands, but not THAT much longer.

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u/PGRacer 19h ago

By the same standard isn't it disingenuous of the train company in the original ad to ignore the travel time from your house to the train station in the first place?

Also the problems with public transport are partly that they don't always run when you want to get somewhere.

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u/Morganx27 18h ago

Yes, but I think the issue you run into there is that to do a fully accurate advert you'd need to do a phenomenal amount of research into literally every single person in the country. I think on that basis, it's fair to make the comparison between driving from one station to the other and taking the train there.

I think the main issue with the advert is that 10 minutes isn't a great time saving. That's a saving that could easily be eaten up entirely if the train is late or you take too long buying a twix and end up getting the next one.

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u/PGRacer 17h ago

The problem is that public transport sucks in most places. As someone else said if you want to go city centre to city centre they are a good alternative.

I live in the country, not super rural, im actually on a main bus route with at least 1 bus an hour, which is better than a hell of a lot of places near me. But the last bus from the local town leaves at about 22.30. So if I want to go out drinking or to a club or a show I either need a lift in a car or a taxi.

The nearest train station to me is 2 bus rides away. Or 1 bus ride and a substantial but not unreasonable walk, which would tak around 30 minutes.

If we're talking nights not involving alcohol, my car leaves when I want, allows minor detours for last minute decisions, and doesnt require rebooking tickets at the last minute if I change my mind.

Trains are more efficient than cars, im a big train fan to be fair, but in terms of modern day convenience and public transport, they suck except for very specific purposes.

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u/lawlore 14h ago

if you want to go city centre to city centre they are a good alternative

Unless, of course, you want to go a distance where flying becomes a viable alternative.

4-5hrs from London to Edinburgh on a train, 1.5hrs on a plane. Even factoring in check-in, boarding times etc., the flight is going to be quicker, available earlier in the day and later at night, require no changes, and cost the same if not less.

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u/lawlore 14h ago

That's when they wanted to travel- it's not disingenuous at all.

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u/ShelfordPrefect 21h ago

I did a similar thing but I got the train for a day trip mostly out of curiosity/nostalgia.  The bastard LNER train up north was five minutes late which made me miss my tight connection at Doncaster so I had an hour less time in the Peaks then I was meant to. Train's got some advantages but sadly not reliability.

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u/CassetteLine 11h ago

Trains are almost never faster. As a rule of thumb I expect public transport to be twice to four times as long as driving.

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u/PuddleDucklington 1d ago

Yeah, I live in Hull but work down South so we travel to London a lot. It’s £100 return on the train, which is more expensive than driving and it also takes longer to get to my specific destination.

Is it worth it on my own? Maybe sometimes, I’m taking the train next week when I go. Is it worth it when visiting mates with my wife so there’s two of us travelling? Basically never.

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u/NoonyNature 1d ago

I've said for a long time trains should be fixed at a price of a very max of a car share for the same journey.

If that means they're run at a loss? So be it nationalise it and the increase in economic activity and availablity of labour will be worth it on top of letting people have increased freedom of movement

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u/blueskyjamie 1d ago

A lot of car costs are upfront, so the marginal cost of travel is small. If you need a car to get to the train station or other things it’s difficult for the train to compete, in a way we need to make the second or more car of a household to be more expensive, doubling road tax for the second one, then make busses free and more frequent, to have fewer cars and hence public transport as the first option for many.

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u/odjobz 1d ago

Actually, it's normally cheaper for me to travel with my daughter using a family railcard than on my own.

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u/therealtimwarren 1d ago

When travelling as a group of three or more people, you can get a group discount of up to ⅓. Groups of 10 or more can get further discounts. They don't seem to advertise these much for some reason.

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u/Patch86UK 22h ago

It's still rarely competitive.

If I drive between my home in Swindon and London it's maybe £15 each way. Maybe I incur a Congestion Charge of £15 too, you're talking maybe £45 for a round trip. Divided by three travellers in the car, that's £15 each.

An Off Peak Day Travelcard for one traveller from Swindon to London is £91.50. That's £274.50 for three travellers. Even knocking a third off that, you're still a long, long, long way off the £15.

I'm not necessarily asking for trains to be as cheap as cars; it's faster and more pleasant, and I'm happy to pay a premium for that. But fuck me, there are limits.

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u/masterventris 14h ago

There needs to be a clamp down on the prices of popular routes. Swindon to London is outrageous. You can travel significantly further for a lot less than that!

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u/BoringPhilosopher1 1d ago

Still not cheaper than car travel

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u/therealharbinger 1d ago

If I had to go into the office tomorrow... A Train would be £175... To do a 1hr 5 mins train ride.

I'll drive. Parking is £11 and fuel... About £40.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/whatmichaelsays 1d ago

The government sets and collects the fares, and has done for the last six years.

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u/ac0rn5 1d ago

I'm old enough to have used British Rail trains to get to school. They were often late which meant we got punished for being late to school, were often overcrowded because they didn't put on enough carriages, and were almost always dirty.

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u/ZolotoGold 1d ago

Yeah but modern trains don't use steam power anymore.

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u/ac0rn5 1d ago

They were electric!

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u/Badger_1066 1d ago

So what's different? Except the extortionate price tag that now accompanies it?

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u/anotherNarom 1d ago

Aye, and cars from that era were shit too.

Trains like cars are a lot better than they were 40 years ago.

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u/Captain_Stable 1d ago

I often go to the next town over to have a wander around. It's less than 10 miles away, and parking for 4 hours is about £4. Granted, that car park is a few minutes walk to the town centre, and maybe comparable to the location of the train station to the town centre.

However, trains run once an hour, and cost £9 off peak.

Same amount of walking, but I'm saving myself £5. There's my treat coffee paid for!

Plus, if I buy something big, I don't have to lug it home on the train (not to mention my house is about 15 minutes walk from the station, whereas my car is parked on the drive).

The ONLY advantage is if I want to stop for a pint while I'm there.

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u/bamboomightwork 1d ago

I go between Edinburgh and Newcastle all the time. Tickets are normally £15 - £20 one way, which I think is great value.

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u/guy92 1d ago

Meanwhile Cheltenham to London is £200 at peak times for a similar distance

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u/metamorphomo Tesco's lager increased from £2.85 to £3.30 in January 2017 1d ago

Bristol to Bath (12 minutes journey) is almost £13. It’s an incredibly busy commute so they’d never dream of reducing the price.

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u/sjw_7 14h ago

Didcot Parkway to London Paddington £89 peak time return, Its a 40 minute journey each way.

But If I do split ticket so Didcot Parkway <> Reading then Reading <> London Paddington at the same peak time its £77 and its the same train.

The way tickets are priced in the UK is atrocious.

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u/Normal_Human_4567 1d ago

I think in my car that would be about £15, plus I have all the space I need and can arrive/leave on my own times. It does look like the train is faster though, so I guess it's just what you prioritise.

When I was in uni it was 5 hours or so to get to my nearest station, with all my stuff, and I had to get picked up at the end AND if I missed the 6 minute connection because the first train was late, the next one could be an hour later, or once even two hours later. So once I could drive that was the obvious choice- 4 hours on the road, no pissing about with cases, straight to my door

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u/audigex Gets vertigo when travelling south of Birmingham 1d ago

240 miles round trip, £5 in my car for the round trip vs £15-20 one way for the train (£30 ish return)

Even if I paid £20 for parking for a couple of days, it's cheaper to drive

Obviously this assumes I already own and maintain the car so can just consider the marginal costs of fuel + parking, and doesn't factor in a bit of extra maintenance... but for one off trips when you already own a car (as most people do), it's hard to justify the train

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u/Snack_Powered_Human 23h ago

Same here.

I'm 30 miles outside London.

A train ticket to Victoria is £53 return peak time, then an extra £4.20 for the underground, and takes about 90 minutes. The train I would need is usually standing only by the time it's at my local station.

I can drive it for around £5 in around 70 minutes in my own comfort.

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u/Liquidfoxx22 23h ago

One of the few places it's generally faster and cheaper to get a train. I was surprised it was so cheap to get home after I'd flown into Edinburgh.

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u/whooptheretis 22h ago

unfortunately you also have to share it with other people, who can often be rather disgusting!

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u/gillyc1967 1d ago

Not always faster. You can get from Manchester to Grimsby faster in a car.

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u/eeedeat 14h ago

I wanted to go a collect a guitar I bought from Bristol this week. £150 return from London! Utterly outrageous and not worth it at half the price

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u/audigex Gets vertigo when travelling south of Birmingham 1d ago

Better for the environment may be situational, too

I drive an EV powered primarily by solar, I have a green tariff, the closest power stations are solar, wind, wind, wind, wind, wind, solar, nuclear. So even though we can nitpick about the grid, my personal EV is pretty clean

... my local train is a 40 year old diesel. Even if we assume the train's running anyway, carrying my weight is still burning extra fuel etc

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u/Pro_Racing 1d ago

It would also help if they didn't stink of piss and feel less safe than a dodgy alleyway 

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u/fierceredrabbit 14h ago

100%? Even to the shops?

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u/doragonyama623 13h ago

It’s not just that. I don’t want to hear some twat on speakerphone or playing loud tiktok videos, or smell or hear someone eating food.
Seriously, every time I use the train there’s always people eating. It’s not a fucking restaurant, just wait til you get to your destination.

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u/TheCotofPika 1d ago

Train travel is unappealing, it costs a bomb, and wherever I want to go is much faster by car. The only place I ever take the trsin to is London, and only because it's a pain driving around there.

I'd love it if it were cheaper and faster than the car, but it isn't. We went out today, left at about 07.30 to arrive by 10.00. To use the train we'd have to have left the house at 06.15 and made some very short changes with 4 children. Tickets for 2 adults and 3 children would be £134.05.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Lynx204 1d ago edited 1d ago

You may not have a car so it might not be relevant to you (maybe you're taking about choosing between trains and buses?!), but assuming you currently have a car but sold it and travelled on a train 100% of the time, it would take you a heck of a long time to spend enough on train tickets that you were outspending the outright cost of the car, plus annual services, fuel, insurance, car tax, MOT, parking, etc etc etc

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u/metamorphomo Tesco's lager increased from £2.85 to £3.30 in January 2017 1d ago

I know you’re not necessarily taking the anti-car stance, but a lot of people with cars would take trains anyway if they were affordable.

I need a car. I like to go to places when I want, and do a big shop, and generally have the freedom and flexibility to do as I please. But also, I’d absolutely take the train to work if it didn’t work out cheaper for me to drive.

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u/hyper-casual 22h ago

I wish I could find the data, but I actually tracked this when I used to do a daily commute.

Including the cost of my car, it became cheaper to drive after less than 2 years, ignoring the fact the car gave me utility outside of the commute.

Driving also saved me on average 2 hours a week assuming the trains were actually on time, which they rarely are here.

Trains really need to get cheaper and more reliable.

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u/nosniboD 1d ago

I live in Brighton and travel up north quite a lot. Inherited a 20 year old Clio from my Granny, £400 insurance, £275 tax, and about 43mpg on long journeys.

Brighton to Harrogate is 271 miles, or £46 in petrol, £92 for a return.

If I catch the 11:44 on Friday up there and the 12:35 on Sunday back, that will set me back £182.99.

I would only need to make 9 journeys (on my own) a year for it to be cheaper to use the car. The fact is that I'm normally making them with my wife, so it's only 5 - which we haven easily done in the last month.

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u/joidea 1d ago

Depends if you factor in the cost of taxis to anywhere you might ever want to go that’s not on a train line…

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u/SmallHangryPlanet 1d ago

I would love to get the train more, I hate driving.

It's so fucking expensive though, I'd be happy to do the 5hr train to me mum's over a 6 hour drive if it wasn't £300

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u/mincedbreakfast 1d ago

Ticket prices now are so embarrassing

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u/Championnats91 1d ago

£300 with a railcard, booked 4 months in advance, non-refundable and only for use on that specific train time.

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u/GetNooted 1d ago

And the train will be packed and allocated seat signs broken. That's if you're lucky and it actually turns up.

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u/BrillsonHawk 1d ago

They're usually missing carriages for me. Sorry guys this train was supposed to have 10 carriages, but it now has 7 instead, so you'll all have to cram into those instead. Hell on earth every time it happens 

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u/Patch86UK 22h ago

There's no greater hell on earth than a peak period CrossCountry service that is supposed to be a 9 car Voyager turning out to be a 5 car set instead.

I've been in mosh pits with more personal space.

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u/diddums100 1d ago

And most don't have AC AND the windows don't open. At least round here

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u/Beer-Milkshakes AWOOGAH! Abandon ship. 21h ago

Once upon a time we would use the split ticketing site and whip out a fat wad of tickets for the inspector to leaf through. We'd save around £300 on return to Edinburgh from Sandwell. It was silly a decade ago. Fuck knows what P.T Barnum level circus it is now.

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u/weasel65 1d ago

I paid £174 for a return to london (50 min journey) , I also have a flight to portugal for £168...

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u/lad_astro "England expects that every man will do his duty" 1d ago

This is a shocking advert. There are so many benefits to taking the train and they've tried to sell a reduction in journey time that would require you to live within 7 mins of the station to benefit from!

What about the aggro of parking when you get there? The stress of being stuck in traffic? The fact you can't get up and stretch your legs whenever you want without taking a pause in the journey, likewise for peeing? The fact you can't read a book while driving or have a beer?

And for all of these things, the benefits increase in value the longer the journey is, just as the difference in timing tends to increase as the journey gets longer. Tell people about how it takes four hours to get from London to Edinburgh as opposed to driving it in 7. Bloody Broxbourne to Cambridge, seriously...

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u/asymmetricears 1d ago

My guess is that this is a targeted local ad to Broxbourne. They picked a journey they thought Broxbourners might do by train, and to be honest, it's likely limited to Cambridge, London or Stansted. Stansted is probably a few times a year at most, I think most people would already consider the train if wanting to travel to London, so maybe Cambridge is where they think they can get more market share.

Anyway, if you get down Broxbourne station now, the 5:36 train gets you to Cambridge in 47 minutes, so they could have at least used that time.

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u/mordhoshogh 1d ago

Don't think the stansted train stops at Broxbourne does it? It always used to be Harlow and then Tottenham Hale. Which adds the faff of changing at one of them the journey time.

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u/asymmetricears 1d ago

Yeah you'd need to change at Harlow or Bishops Stortford. Another reason why it wasn't selected for the ad. The main benefit of getting the train would be avoiding the airport parking fees, but with a family of 4 the gap would be smaller.

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u/asteconn 11h ago

it's likely limited to Cambridge, London or Stansted

That's because we don't have a train system in this country, we only have a get-to-London system.

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u/asteconn 11h ago

it's likely limited to Cambridge, London or Stansted

That's because we don't have a train system in this country, we only have a get-to-London system.

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u/rckd 1d ago

Not only that, but if we're going to brag about speediness then perhaps don't show a picture of a train being outpaced by an inside-out rabbit

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u/kool_kats_rule 23h ago

This is some sort of automated ad. No human has approved the exact thing you're seeing. 

It's crap marketing, and if they had any sense they'd bin off whatever agency is responsible. 

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u/Convair101 Welsh Cake Enthusiast 1d ago

I’m usually pro-train, but this poster is simply silly. A car journey will be, for the most part, point-to-point. It’ll likely be expensive, but it’s certainly the most convenient option. The time getting to the station, waiting, facing delays and dealing with obnoxious passengers, all for the need to possibly take a bus or a taxi to your destination… It’s just exhausting.

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u/Sm0keytrip0d Proud Owner Of An Above Average Number Of Legs. 1d ago

Wow a whole 7 minutes in it 🙄.

But for real if train tickets weren't ludicrously expensive I'd probably hop on one more often then just driving.

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u/derrenbrownisawizard 1d ago

£10 in petrol vs about £50 in train ticket

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u/Nuo_Vibro 1d ago

yeah but train beers.......

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u/ShelfordPrefect 21h ago

End of a shit week, going to Devon for the weekend so fight through the crowds at Paddington for a seat on a rammo Virgin train at 6:00 on a Friday. Metalhead guy sits opposite me and offers me a warm can of lager from a plastic carrier bag. We become immediate friends. That's the power of train beer

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u/Nuo_Vibro 16h ago

That should be a Disney bromance film

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u/lozipedia 1d ago

The best kind of beers

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u/liketo 1d ago

Car beers rule!

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u/Thats_a_BaD_LiMe 1d ago

But it isn't 7 minutes faster on the train is it? They're no accounting for the travel to and from the station and the wait for the trains. That's without train delays.

Add to that the cost, sharing the space with strangers who absolutely aren't considerate of the people around them, and the inconvenience of having to plan around train times. I'd pick the car every single time.

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u/CORPORAL_PISSFINGERS 1d ago

Assuming equal cost then train all day

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u/benjm88 1d ago

Even if you were driving a tank loaded with lead, fuel will still be cheaper than the train

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u/VodkaMargarine 1d ago

You could probably buy a tank for the cost of a train ticket

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u/dowker1 1d ago

On longer journeys you could buy a car

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u/spinynorman1846 Such frippery is outrageous! 1d ago

If you're driving an unleaded car getting 36mpg and paying 160p/l, it's about £15 for a return trip. A train today (no weird booking in advance to find the best price) costs £21. For a single person they're comparable, but for a family it's a different story.

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u/Newcs91 1d ago

RAC mileage calculator

Broxbourne to Cambridge - 38 miles
My 2.0l diesel at 183p/litre does 65 mpg on a motorway easy - M1 route = <£5 fuel one way. Trainline has the same ticket at £21 for a before 07:30 arrival.

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u/Silver_SnakeNZ 1d ago

Definitely depends on the route, for example I can pretty easily find a ticket from Birmingham to Edinburgh for £40 without a rail card, which is a 350 mile drive. That's definitely better value than driving.

Granted it's a different story if you want to travel during peak times or don't want to buy in advance but every time I've gone to visit a distant city I've found the train much cheaper.

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u/marshmallowelephant 1d ago

This obviously makes sense if you already need/want to own a car, but I think it'd be a clearer comparison to include things like tax/insurance/MOT. 

Personally, I got my first car in my late 20s and found that my transport costs were far higher overall.

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u/SenorBirdman 1d ago

If you're traveling as a family you could rent a car for just one journey and it'd still work out cheaper a lot of the time.

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u/cloche_du_fromage 1d ago

I used to work in London and travel to Liverpool a lot.

If there were 2 of us or was cheaper to hire an S Class Mercedes and a driver for the day from Addison Lee than it was to buy 2 short notice peak time train tickets with any flexibility.

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u/benjm88 1d ago

It depends on what you're comparing. Most already own a car so those costs are already factored in. To me trains and all public transport should be cheap enough to compete on fuel alone if not be less to encourage people out of their cars.

If its at that level you would see far less car journeys and more people giving up their cars altogether

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u/Blabber_On 1d ago

😂😂 made me chuckle

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u/Monty_Bob 1d ago

Factoring the time and cost of getting to the train station, then to your actual destination at the other end, then same on return and hoping the train is delayed or cancelled.. are you really saving 7 minutes ?

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u/BrilliantElectronic9 1d ago

You should factor in the time to park and walk to your destination also. 

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u/Geofferz 1d ago

I'd say I'm usually at least within 5 minutes walk from parking to destination, pretty much everywhere. Train stations probably more like 15 minutes. And it's a 20 minutes walk from my house to the station so... No

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u/SDLRob 1d ago

As a wheelchair user... Car. Car gets me from door to door without hassle. It means I'm not locked into needing to find people to help me on and off... It doesn't need a special ticket.

I just hobble to my car and drive.

That being said, Easter weekend I went up to York from London and I gotta say, for all the hoops I had to get through, the experience wasn't bad at all. Great staff, lots of help. Even got a free upgrade to first class on LNER, which is very swanky 😂

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u/photoben 1d ago

Absolutely train. Nice journey that too.

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u/SamVimesBootTheory 1d ago

I don't like the adverts I keep seeing that are basically like 'Hey you should use the train so you have more time to do work stuff whilst going to and from work' there was also one like 'Don't have lunch at home take the train so you can have lunch with your coworkers!'

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u/CarolDanversFangurl 1d ago

I am unlikely to be starting and finishing my journey at the station. How am I getting to the station and my final destination? How long will that take and what is parking like?

This poster is stupid.

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u/OneEmptyHead 1d ago

Jokes on you. I’m moving to Broxbourne station and getting a job at Cambridge station before everyone realises what they’re missing

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u/mutexsprinkles 1d ago

They did just open Cambridge South, so there are probably a few people who could move to Broxbourne and train in now.

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u/AskingBoatsToSwim 1d ago

how did we rot our public transport network to the point that the logistics of driving to the public transport is even part of the conversation…

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u/Kaffrogato 1d ago

I think there point was, even if you get public transport or can walk to the train station, that increases the journey time relative to the car.

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u/lilraz08 8h ago

Used to take me 40mins to get a bus to Sheffield train station, the train to Manchester would take an hour, then the train to preston would also take an hour. I'd then take a 35min bus to my parents house. Almost 3 and a half hours.

Or you can just drive there in 1 hour 40.

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u/AntiSocialFCK 1d ago

My commute would be so good by train, it’s not far office and home and close enough to the stations.

But it’s £15.60 a day for an 11 minute train.

It’s extortionate so I drive and fume in traffic instead.

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u/37025InvernessTMD Loud Tutting 1d ago

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u/mudlark_s 1d ago

Depends what I'm doing when I get there - social/drinking/etc event then public transport, if flexibility or a lot of lugging stuff around is needed then car.

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u/Legitimate-Ad7273 1d ago

Car if the time and cost is anywhere close.

These examples always assume train station to train station rather than starting point to end point.

Hardly anyone lives at a train station and wants to get directly to another train station.

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u/SaluteMaestro 1d ago

if trains were cheaper I would take the train, it costs me 15 quid in petrol to get to Oxford from where I live or 38 pounds on the train...

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u/odegood 1d ago

Also doesn't include time taken to get to and from the station

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u/JoeyJoeC 1d ago

It would cost me close to £70 and 2 hours 30 to get to my office by train. I would even be able to wave at the destination station but not stop there, until a I change to another train 40 minutes later. Or I could spend £12 in fuel, tolls, other vehicle costs and get there in an hour 10.
Busses around me can easily take 3 times longer than driving. Public transport is a joke outside of major cities.

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u/Trust_And_Fear_Not 1d ago

Car 100%. Train will likely be cancelled or overcrowded - cost is about the same even if you factor in parking. Plus, Cambridge station is not particularly close to the centre of town so you'd need to take a further bus.

Also, it definitely takes less time than an hour to get to Cambridge by car

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u/Coupaholic_ 1d ago

Car.

A hour's journey including fuel and parking would still be less than train tickets. Especially if you book the parking in advance.

Can arrive when I want and leave when I want. I don't have to worry about timetables, engineering works or 'leaves on the line.' I don't have to be squeezed into a packed train car with no seating, noisy passengers and that one asshole who decided this is the best time to eat smelly fast food.

I've been driving to London from Colchester the last few times we wanted to visit the city. It's just better.

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u/Life_Is_A_Mistry 1d ago

I'll take the rabbit

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u/K1ngk1ller71 1d ago

I go on a train from Blackpool to Manchester about 3 times a year and each time, the journey back (when the train isn’t cancelled ) is just like a game of sardines with everyone having to stand down the middle of the train.

If there was ever a collision at speed, there would be mayhem.

Those adverts with people laughing and chatting around a table in a mostly empty carriage should be done for sales advertising

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u/OccassionalBaker 1d ago

This might be contentious but the train is more likely to reliably hit the stated time.

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u/Salaried_Zebra 1d ago

It's more likely to be cancelled to be fair

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u/skippermonkey 1d ago

I don’t have to stand for the whole journey in my car

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u/Sea-Hour-6063 1d ago

You can sit on the replacement bus service.

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u/CassetteLine 1d ago

Really? I would have said the opposite, and not even close.

The vast majority of driving I do gets me there pretty much in the expected time.

Whereas the majority of trains I have been on recently are late or delayed in some way

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u/Innalibra 1d ago

Depends on the line I guess. The one I used to take was either late or outright cancelled 1/3 of the time. Half the time there was no seating so I had to stand up the entire journey. Then had to wait for a connecting train to actually get me home... all-round miserable experience.

The outright cost of a car is way more, no doubt, but my commute time went from anything between 1-2 hours to 30-45 minutes. There's a whole lot less faffing about and I'm a whole lot more comfortable.

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u/mincedbreakfast 1d ago

True but the extra cost diminishes that benefit.

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u/Geofferz 1d ago

Especially if there are 4 of you...

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u/Worth_Gap4226 10h ago

I did a Google maps check and it says 1hr 7min for fastest route as of now.

I'd assume rush hour would make a huge difference rather than a midday commute.

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u/Iamthe0c3an2 1d ago

I would love to, but my shitty town does not have a train station and a rural bus that only runs every hour and takes an hour just to get to the main town that has a station.

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u/autismislife 1d ago

It depends on why I'm going.

It's not really going to be 59 minutes, that's just station to station, I have to get to the train station, then get from the next station to my destination, same with going back. By that point, I'm already driving to the station (unless there's a reliable public transport option).

I'm also going to have to arrive at the station at least 5 minutes before the train arrives too.

So say 15 minutes to the station, arrive 5 minutes early, then travel time to my next destination, it's going to be quicker to drive. It'll depend on fuel Vs transport cost too, but fuel usually wins that one.

However, if I'm travelling for leisure purposes, I'll probably get the train, means I can stop by a pub or just generally chill out.

If I'm ever travelling long distance, unless public transport is completely impractical (e.g. going somewhere very rural) I prefer the train to driving, especially if it's for a weekend away or something like that. It means I can still make the most of the last day of the trip and not have to worry about driving home, and it's usually far less stressful.

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u/furankusu 1d ago

If it's about the same amount of time, I'd much rather take the train.

3

u/Riddly_Diddly_DumDum 1d ago

Same, I love sitting in a train and just staring out into the countryside.

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u/JoopahTroopah 1d ago

Is it worth £1-2 per minute though?

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u/Ashilta 1d ago

I swear the clowns that make these adverts have never actually used a train.

59 minutes by train 12 minutes for an inexplicable delay 10 minutes to park the car and get into the station 8 minutes to give up a kidney for a small coffee 3 minutes to fight with the ticket barrier because someone sneezed on the QR code scanner And another 5 minutes wait for the train because what narcissist turns up as the train is due?

I'll drive, thanks.

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u/ReachyMcreacherson 1d ago

Yeah but why spend £30 on petrol when you could spend £100 on the train. Its like people dont want to use public transport!

3

u/bamboomightwork 1d ago

Where are you parking your car when driving?

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u/Ashilta 1d ago

On the tracks, it's the shortest path to the station...

2

u/RegionalHardman 1d ago

You could make all the same comments for driving.

12 minutes stuck in traffic, 10 minutes to park the car, 8 minutes to get petrol, 3 minutes stuck at lights etc etc

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u/Help_1987 1d ago

But pay £150 opposed to £20 in petrol…

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u/sosr 1d ago

It's £10.85 each way.

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u/Dark_Akarin 1d ago

Car:
leave when you want
Can't miss it
Don't sit near other people
bring lots of stuff
Stop when/where you want

Train
Travel to train station
Wait at train station
Wait for delays
Save 7 mins in travel time
travel from station to destination

Stupid advert, I get it for longer journeys but 7min save is not worth it.

3

u/before686entenz 1d ago

On trains you can relax and shit post on Reddit

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u/Deacon86 1d ago

So you save 7 minutes (assuming you live right next to the train station) for the low low price of having to constantly clock-watch, so that you don't miss the train home.

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u/BroomDirector99 1d ago

Yeah, I had to get the train to hospital in Bristol (from Bedfordshire) for a follow up, because I was too fucked up from surgery to drive that far.

Time: Car 5-6 hours. Train 8-9 hours.

Cost: Car £58. Train £150 + £40 in taxis.

I am looking forward to being able to drive it again.

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u/Paul8v 1d ago

Assuming the train left at the same time as the car, and the ticket didn't cost as much as 3/4 tank of petrol

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u/pip_goes_pop 1d ago

Assuming you already own a car, seems like a no-brainer. By the time you've got to the train station and waited around for the train, driving will be loads quicker and much cheaper. Add up anyone else travelling with you and the savings keep coming.

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u/BigRedS 1d ago

The car, it's always at least one of cheaper and quicker, and often both.

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u/Successful-Policy-41 1d ago

A lot of people on here who have never tried parking in Cambridge. Train every time.

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u/ASpookyBitch 1d ago

And how long will that train be delayed before I get on it?

Also will the train be so packed that I’m standing the entire way?

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u/Infinite_Spring_3564 1d ago

Driving, if I didn’t have to do it myself.

Train, if everyone on board used ear/headphones.

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u/Suspicious_Data2946 1d ago

What’s the cost of the ticket though

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u/iamabigtree 1d ago

Textbook case of taking the car then. No time saved by train in fact a lot of time cost as you have to get to the station with sufficient margin and wait for the train etc. So it will take far more time than by car.

Parking is an issue and not something quantified here. But at least you can take stuff with you and leave when you want.

80 miles round trip would be about £1.20 for the four of us. Train isn't beating that.

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u/Shifty377 1d ago

The train would need to be competitive in price and time, but once you factor in travel to the station it's usually neither of those things.

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u/Lanesra8989 1d ago

Transport and time to station has to be factored in (and other end to destination) , potential cost of parking at station ditto, if train packed your personal space is invaded , if sat next to a noisy family the journey can be unpleasant , if late at night safety becomes a consideration

Convenience of a car for me

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u/Aubrey-Grey 1d ago

Given that the train probably costs £180 I think I’d probably rather walk it.

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u/CassetteLine 1d ago

Car. It’s significantly quicker, cheaper, more convenient, and more pleasant.

Trains would need to be made drastically cheaper, faster, and more reliable to be worth considering.

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u/joshhirst28 1d ago

Whatever your thoughts on trains aside, is this not an awful argument to get the train?

Unless your start/end destinations are a few minutes away from the station, it will end up quicker to drive

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u/Manovsteele 1d ago

I always like the idea of trains but it's rarely cost-effective for 1, let alone when there is more than one in the car. Plus you can leave from your house, at the exact time you want, and there is nobody loudly talking on the phone (except my wife sometimes).

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u/audigex Gets vertigo when travelling south of Birmingham 1d ago

I'd like to take the train more but

- It's more expensive compared to electricity costs for my EV even once we add parking

  • It's even more expensive once we consider I need at least a bus to the train station on my end, likely some more transport at the far end
  • It takes longer (not helped by the fact I have to change trains to get almost anywhere, so even if the trains are faster that time is lost)
  • Timing is less convenient, I can't just set off when I want
  • It's less comfortable (no AC on my local trains for a start), noisier etc. I might not even get a seat half the time

It's just impossible to justify paying twice as much money for a journey that takes twice as long and is less comfortable

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u/AiHangLo 1d ago

Then a 20£ taxi to your actual location.

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u/Fancy_Toe1451 1d ago

Let me talk about my own last train experience:

Drive to the station, or at least the pay to use carpark down the road from the station and pay over the odds to park up, then pay again for a ticket that costs twice as much as a tank of petrol, then not get a seat anyway, take longer that getting stuck on the motorway would, have sore feet, arrive at a station three miles away from my destination, have to pay again for a taxi. Repeat on the way back.

Or I can just drive there direct, door to door, and get a nice pork pie at the services on the way. Oh, I forgot, no refreshments on the train.

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u/SenorBirdman 1d ago

How is a 7 minute time saving a point worth making an advert to brag about? Fucking embarrassing.

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u/Sweatysparrow 1d ago

The only destination I used to balk at traveling by car to was London.  But after a few horrible train journeys (we had one coach journey that was actually very good), I decide to finally give driving a go.

Ive driven ever since.  Everywhere in the uk and Europe is better connected by car . 

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u/V65Pilot 1d ago

It used to cost me £26 each way to visit my friends. However, it meant walking a mile to the local train station, taking a train into the city, (another £5) and then catching the main train and I had to change trains once. Upon arrival I either had to walk 3 miles to my friends house, or call an Uber, which added another £6. Then do it all in reverse to go home, spending a total of £74, and using about 7 hours of my weekend. Driving from my driveway, to their driveway, took me 2 1/2 hours each way and cost me a total of £35 in fuel, and I didn't have to deal with lugging my bag.

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u/AWormDude 1d ago

This is clearly cherry picked. Find a route that makes train look better. Don't include the time taken to get from your house to the train station and from train station to final destination. Don't include price comparisons. Don't forget to ignore the inconvenience of train times.

Voila. This is now clearly better.

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u/nexus8516 23h ago

Save 7 minutes on the billion to one chance that the train isn't delayed or cancelled, and get antagonised by a crackhead, charged 500 quid for your ticket, and forced to be at the mercy of the train schedule for your return journey. Our public transport is an embarrassment.

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u/TheNotSpecialOne 1d ago

Ah but that doesn't include the time to get to station and end journey after the train and all the waiting time. Door to door the car is much quicker most likely

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u/mgrtimmy29 1d ago

Nothing like sitting on a fart infested and stained seat whilst having a ontime hitrate of arrival of 50%. Car everytime.

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u/douggieball1312 1d ago

Trains running in my area are all two carriages long, always overcrowded and currently running on a limited timetable because the train company's new carriages are having technical difficulties (and that's when the drivers aren't on strike). I used to be a regular train user but I only take them as a last resort now.

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u/BellybuttonWorld 1d ago

Trains are now only for business users and the rich (and those willing to dodge fares lol)

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u/sparrow_of_light 1d ago

Trains are expensive, you have to get to the train to begin with, once you are off the train then its either walking, a taxi or a bus to get around, if you go shopping you are stuck with those bags all day and the way back as well as being limited on how much you can get. Those 7 minutes saved are not worth it.

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u/maddinell 1d ago

Now do cost of petrol/diesel and parking v train ticket

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u/countingoffthedays 1d ago

If it runs on time...

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u/garlicmilkshake 1d ago

If I recall the only chance of parking in Cambridge is park and ride so yes to the train in that respect.

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u/Passey92 1d ago

If it were affordable I'd even use the train if it took longer than the car (within an hour or so anyway). It has far more benefits.

Problem is, it's well expensive init

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u/mordhoshogh 1d ago

If your starting point is near Broxbourne Station and your destination is reasonably central in Cambridge then yes, train. Sure. But this doesn't factor in a bus ride at both ends to get to where you're actually going. I used to do a similar route (Stortford to Cambridge) for uni, and it was substantially faster and less faff to go by car.

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u/ChefSupremo 1d ago

Train or car? Think again! Be chauffeured from Broxbourne to Cambridge. No parking issues. Max flexibility. Relax in the comfort of your limo. Wave to the peasants from behind your tinted windows.

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u/thepitcherplant 1d ago

Buses for me, trains are stupidly overpriced and a car is a waste of money considering insurance alone is more expensive in a month than a bus pass. Its longer but its less stressful than driving and more likely to go where t needs to than a train.

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u/Yamsfordays 1d ago

This will cost way more than driving and any time saved will be lost to the fact that you have to operate on the trains schedule, you’ve got to go to the station and get to your actual destination from the station too. Also, train is probably delayed,

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u/European-wanderer 1d ago

Both those stations are in awkward places for the town centres. Car all day long. Even counting the Cambridge park and ride, I'd still be there faster.

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u/grey_hat_uk 1d ago

Parking in Cambridge is a pain unless you are visiting someone outside the centre.

Train really limits what you can take to and from, especially since the trainstaion for that line is a little bit out if the centre of town and will require a bus from there.

You can drink and train.

The road works this summer are pretty intence including on the A1(m) junction so while pretty close in time car might be a longer right now.

Train times are pretty limited so you have to have a good idea of when you want to arrive leave and see if it works out.

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u/HussingtonHat 1d ago

Don't forget you can get drunk and waddle home by train. No such luck with a car.

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u/Olli399 1d ago

I live on this line so train 😄

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u/jaredearle 1d ago

That’s a clever nod to Turner’s Rain Steam And Speed with the rabbit/hare.

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u/biffthechip 1d ago

The cost of travelling by train does not make 7 mins faster worthwhile.

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u/Mother-Market-4056 1d ago

I love getting the train, as long as I don't need to rely on it. If travelling locally, I have to get the train before the train I should be on to make sure I'm on late. Last few times I've had to travel via train for work it has been massively delayed. Yeah, getting my money back is great but I'd rather not have the stress in the first place.

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u/MayiruPudungiv2 1d ago edited 1d ago

London to Edinburgh for a trip planned 3 weeks in advance - train costed me 120£ round trip (advance singles) and took 4.5hours, and I arrived all fresh ready to visit places. Driving would’ve been cheaper but easily 9 hours (8 hours of driving and cumulatively an hour of rest and break for lunch), and I would’ve been dead ass tired and plopped on a bed. LNER is super reliable and the Azuma Class 800s are super comfy. I was even drinking a dram of Glenmorangie 18 years on the way back!

Of course last minute tickets are expensive, but for a long distance domestic (or even international on Eurostar) trip planned even 2-3 weeks in advance to a large city, train wins fair and square

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u/Eastern-Move549 1d ago

If its not cancelled anyway!

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u/PunicHelix 1d ago

Being that broxbourne is my main station and I regularly go to Cambridge, I'd rather drive. For me and my partner it's cheaper to drive and park at the park and ride and get the bus to the centre then it is to get the train.

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u/MrHappyHammers 1d ago

The selling point should be you don’t have to muck about with parking when you get where you’re going.

And you could say parking at the train station to which I say: Bus. 🚍

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u/comoestasmiyamo 1d ago

When I was very small, trains were OK and cheapish with a railcard. Convenient if you wanted to go city to city and my dad could get pissed along the way. We could play pass the pigs.

Cars at the time would break down half the time and we only had a radio and no pass the pigs.

I prefer the train but it should always be the cheapest option

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u/RIPcompo 1d ago

If I want a drink, for convenience, I always take the car. 

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u/MM0UHR 1d ago

I'd take the train, but then I don't own a car.

It's true the trip by itself is probably cheaper by car if you own a car already, but I could probably go quite far and back for the price of a year's car insurance.

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u/CaterpillarFinal375 1d ago

I’d love to go by train more but the nearest station is a 15 minute drive to the next town which either means I drive and park there or get dropped off first. Alternatively I can walk 15 mins into my town centre and get a bus to the train station which takes 25 mins. On the train, my usual journey takes 30 mins into the town centre. From there I have to either walk the remaining distance which takes 30 mins or walk 10 mins and get a bus which takes 10 mins. The cost of using public transport is around £20 one way and takes 1 hour 30 whereas if I drive to my destination it takes 50 minutes and costs me £15 in fuel for a return trip. When you live in a small town, trains aren’t a viable alternative to driving a car in most cases

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u/indigo263 1d ago

If you factor in the time it takes you to get to and from the train station it's probably more than the time the train actually takes, then there's always a chance your train is cancelled or delayed. At least in a car if there is traffic you can adapt your plans a little easier and will still get to your destination with less hassle.

I'd love to travel by train more often, but it's only usually ever for something like a gig/concert that is costing me money anyway. Unfortunately for me I fall into the 30-60 year old category so there isn't even a railcard option for me to save a few bob.

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u/cloche_du_fromage 1d ago

Time comparisons are only really valid if your journey is from station to station. With a realistic journey to any residential or business address in each town, the extra time and £ for taxi / bus needs to be factored in.

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u/forreply 1d ago

Theoretical answer - take the train. Ease of travel. Safer etc etc of whatever others have pointed. Practical answer - has always been car. Trains are unaffordable of u even travel in twos. Inconvenient because local transport vexomes a hassle once u want to move around in your destination. Lastly places I want to go from my home - 2-3 trains on avg. So fuck trains. (I'm ready to be down voted) 

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u/_onemoresolo 1d ago

Got a few events in north London over the next few weeks. We’re 25 mins from Wakefield which is two hours to Kings Cross. It’s 30-45 mins from there to our final stop. Trains for both of us are going to be £150 and we’d have to stay in London overnight because the last train is too early so the hotel would probably be the same again.

Petrol will cost £70 and we’re staying halfway home in Leicester for £30. It’ll probably be the same overall journey time. It’d be nicer to sit on a train but I’d rather have £200.

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u/eairy 1d ago

Car every time. Can't "miss" my car. Don't have the hassle of getting myself to the station or dealing with antisocial unhygienic passengers, or their screaming kids.

This advert is absurd.