Scotrail

[RiG]

58 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

Their prices are absolutely pish, and I hold pretty much zero hope of that changing.

A return from Dundee to Glasgow if you buy on the day is currently £43.20. 

In fact I've just checked and a ticket for that journey a month from now is £49.10. Same with 2 months from now too.

Who do they think these prices are for? 

Normally booking in advance saves you cash and these fares are normally available up to 12 weeks in advance but I found ever since Abellio took over this plummeted significantly. Whether it was outwith their control or not I don't know but right now you can only book up until the 9th of April (so about 3 and a bit weeks) which is presumably COVID related.

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/advance

I've found myself ditching the train for the Megabus between Edinburgh and Inverness much more often in recent years. Cheaper, more frequent and not that much longer depending on the service you pick. Not as comfortable though in fairness.

Edited March 17, 2021 by RiG

[Ginaro]

29 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

£37 quid Dundee to Glasgow one way in a car? That’s a load of shite m8 unless you assume the person is driving a gas guzzler.

 

That's calculated from HMRC's 45p/mile tax-free mileage allowance. 

Even if it's 41p/mile as calculated by this insurance company (see the first FAQ) that's still £33.62 single https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/cheap-car-insurance/average-cost-run-car-uk

Plus you can do other stuff for 90 minutes on the train.

[Glen Sannox]

A lot of people obviously don’t remember the British Rail days. That said, given how good a record the Scottish Government have of running successful businesses, what possibly could go wrong?

[jamamafegan]

Your car isn't free, and you have to tax, insure and maintain it.

Still cheaper than commuting by rail in the morning. I used to commute to Glasgow from Perth for work. I had to pay peak morning prices, I’m sure it was at least 28 quid a day return, for the luxury of standing on a packed train.

28 x 5 = £140. Just to get to work. Or you could buy a cheap run around, spend less in fuel to get to work and pay for a car which can take you anywhere you please.

[GordonS]

24 minutes ago, 101 said:

Some of them are needlessly arrogant and rude especially the guys imo

I've only seen them be like that to folk who had it coming, but maybe you've seen stuff I've not.

3 minutes ago, Glen Sannox said:

A lot of people obviously don’t remember the British Rail days. That said, given how good a record the Scottish Government have of running successful businesses, what possibly could go wrong?

In my experience public services run by both the UK and Scottish governments are more effective and considerably more customer friendly than private services like insurance, energy, etc. Local government is a different matter. The Scottish Government controls CalMac and I'd love to have a train service that runs like our ferries.

SG has had a huge amount of control over the trains for years now and as bad as they can be compared to what we should be able to expect, they're at least the best in the UK and have improved considerably in recent years. 

[vikingTON]

39 minutes ago, ThatBoyRonaldo said:

Prices will not significantly change unless political pressure can be successfully applied. Which tbf nationalising the company makes more possible. But in the short term we won't see major change.

Prices have been cut significantly on Cal Mac ferries since the RET was introduced on many routes; a similar (lower than road) equivalent could easily be introduced to the railways. With the Greens - one of their few good points right now - being ambitious on rail policy as well it's quite possible to achieve this in the near future under public ownership. Prices should not be linked to and do not in fact fund investment in a network that Network Rail operates. 

I think that Abellio's underperformance has been overplayed (First weren't exactly superb either) and some positive changes have been made, but it's better moved to the realm of public policy. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by vikingTON

[GordonS]

2 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

 

Still cheaper than commuting by rail in the morning. I used to commute to Glasgow from Perth for work. I had to pay peak morning prices, I’m sure it was at least 28 quid a day return, for the luxury of standing on a packed train.

28 x 5 = £140. Just to get to work. Or you could buy a cheap run around, spend less in fuel to get to work and pay for a car which can take you anywhere you please.

 

If you're going 5 days a week then you need to compare it with the price of a season ticket, not daily peak.

I agree that rail fares are too expensive, not arguing with you about that, but I also think driving is too cheap. Petrol is cheaper now - not just in real terms, in actual cash terms - than it was a decade ago, while rail and bus fares are up about 30% in that time and wages up 20%.

[vikingTON]

3 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

 

Still cheaper than commuting by rail in the morning. I used to commute to Glasgow from Perth for work. I had to pay peak morning prices, I’m sure it was at least 28 quid a day return, for the luxury of standing on a packed train.

28 x 5 = £140. Just to get to work. Or you could buy a cheap run around, spend less in fuel to get to work and pay for a car which can take you anywhere you please.

 

If you're working in Glasgow all week then you shouldn't be commuting from fucking Perth in the first place. All this harrumphing about the cost of travelling from some stupid pokey bin in the middle of nowhere to Civilisation like the economic migrants you are can be filed in the bin where it belongs. Ditto the tantrums from the 'Fife commuter belt' when they're lucky that they're not checked for contagious diseases at both ends of the Forth Rail Bridge. 

[Ginaro]

7 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

Still cheaper than commuting by rail in the morning. I used to commute to Glasgow from Perth for work. I had to pay peak morning prices, I’m sure it was at least 28 quid a day return, for the luxury of standing on a packed train.

28 x 5 = £140. Just to get to work. Or you could buy a cheap run around, spend less in fuel to get to work and pay for a car which can take you anywhere you please.

 

Well it's now 33.90 x 5 days = £169.50.  But a 7 day ticket is £122.80 or £471 for 30 days (£16/day). 

[topcat(The most tip top)]

All this harrumphing about the cost of travelling from some stupid pokey bin in the middle of nowhere to Civilisation like the economic migrants you are can be filed in the bin where it belongs.

Weren’t you commuting in from Greenock?

[jamamafegan]

If you're working in Glasgow all week then you shouldn't be commuting from fucking Perth in the first place. All this harrumphing about the cost of travelling from some stupid pokey bin in the middle of nowhere to Civilisation like the economic migrants you are can be filed in the bin where it belongs. Ditto the tantrums from the 'Fife commuter belt' when they're lucky that they're not checked for contagious diseases at both ends of the Forth Rail Bridge. 

Tbf I was working a zero hours contract at the time so couldn’t justify getting a flat in Glasgow.

The point is, spending nearly 30 quid for a return journey that takes an hour is outrageous. It was far cheaper for me to take my car and park for free in a wee spot I knew. The difference in time between the two modes of transport was very little.

Also Perth >>> Greenock

[vikingTON]

9 minutes ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

 

Weren’t you commuting in from Greenock?

 

I don't work in Glasgow, so no. And the Clyde Riviera's central importance as the Export Capital of Scotland is well catered for by the existing rail network. At least until the rail bridge and Cowal lines are built as well. 

Thanks for playing anyway.

Edited March 17, 2021 by vikingTON

[vikingTON]

3 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

Also Perth >>> Greenock

 

^^^ actually beneath Tyndrum in the pecking order

Edited March 17, 2021 by vikingTON

[craigkillie]

1 hour ago, GordonS said:

Your car isn't free, and you have to tax, insure and maintain it.

This is a pointless argument though - until the nature of transport in this country substantially changes, and we're generations away from that, most people are going to need to own a car, or at least it is going to be very desriable. Therefore, what we need to encourage is for people to take fewer journeys in the car which they own, at which point tax, and to some extent maintenance too are irrelevant to the cost calculations that person is doing.

[Newbornbairn]

2 hours ago, GordonS said:

It's not a real smartcard, it's pretty shite really. All you can do is pre-load it with specific tickets, which achieves almost nothing other than save a bit of paper.

Your car isn't free, and you have to tax, insure and maintain it.

You still have to tax, insure and maintain the car then leave it in the drive while you're getting the train to Glasgow. 

[itzdrk]

2 hours ago, Ginaro said:

People who don't want to spend 90 minutes driving or in a bus? Driving the 82 miles would cost £37 one way though (not including parking) and take 10+ minutes longer so in that sense it's not that bad.

Of course it should be cheaper to encourage less driving, but the problem is the costs of motoring haven't increased at the same rate as public transport.

I don't think that argument holds though because you are comparing driving alone with a train where you are sharing with many others.  

[GordonS]

35 minutes ago, NewBornBairn said:

You still have to tax, insure and maintain the car then leave it in the drive while you're getting the train to Glasgow. 

You don't need a car.

[DA Baracus]

2 hours ago, RiG said:

Normally booking in advance saves you cash and these fares are normally available up to 12 weeks in advance but I found ever since Abellio took over this plummeted significantly. Whether it was outwith their control or not I don't know but right now you can only book up until the 9th of April (so about 3 and a bit weeks) which is presumably COVID related.

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/advance

I've found myself ditching the train for the Megabus between Edinburgh and Inverness much more often in recent years. Cheaper, more frequent and not that much longer depending on the service you pick. Not as comfortable though in fairness.

Aye when we could go to the football I was often a mix of Megabus and train. Usually it was Megabus to Stirling or Glasgow in the morning, and I just snoozed on it. Then train on to the next destination. 

It was usually just train home, as then I could have a few beers, but on occasion its just been too pricey so I got the Megabus back (sans beers).

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

Megabus for trips up and down the A9 will certainly become a far more attractive option for me if the temporary alcohol ban on trains is made permanent.

I'm still happy to pay the extra for an Inverness to Aberdeen train, as that journey by bus takes about 17 hours.

[RiG]

9 hours ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

Megabus for trips up and down the A9 will certainly become a far more attractive option for me if the temporary alcohol ban on trains is made permanent.

I'm still happy to pay the extra for an Inverness to Aberdeen train, as that journey by bus takes about 17 hours.

Mind boggling there isn't a Megabus equivalent that does Inverness to Aberdeen calling in at Elgin and maybe Inverurie. Four hours between Inverness and Aberdeen is ridiculous.