why not to use public transport

[timwilky]

Young lad who works in my local starts at Catterick on Sunday. He needs to be there by 2PM. It is only 90 miles away. but train times are stupid.
http://www.twsoft.co.uk/sv/catterick.png

so to get there using the travel warrant they have given him means leaving home at about 3:15 to catch the 4.00 am train from Preston. 7.47 hours to travel 90 miles. I bet he could cycle it faster.

[ThEGr33k]

Aye the trains suck ****, they just arnt good enough. Simple as. Not bad if you are just going major city to major city but even major town to major town is a no no. :rolleyes:

Then there is the cost. York to sheffield for example £14.50. Then I got to get from sheffield home... :(

[Thingus]

I've not had problems with trains but that's because i don't trust them and don't use them :p

I love them though. I went from Girona (Spain) to telford in Shropshire on trains. No problems at all until i reached the UK and my platform changed in B'ham, no real trouble.

It also has to be said, tw@'s on phones only happened in the UK.

[punyXpress]

Something else that is ' fit for purpose ' I presume?
For the cost of half a dozen tickets, he could probably buy & run a reasonable SV

[gettin2dizzy]

It'd be great if we had a high speed network in Britain. We've got a small, densely populated country; how hard can it be?!

[Thingus]

If Japan can do it... O.O

[grh1904]

Is he going to Army training centre??

Most of the lads get the train to Darlington (on the east coast main line) then there is normally a garrison bus with a Corporal to meet the new recruits at the train station.

I regularly see lots of nervous young men (with "fresh" new haircuts) waiting there or getting a taxi or walking into Darlo town centre to get the public bus to the garrison.

[Tim in Belgium]

Yep, UK public transport is rubbish. I never use it.

Out here in Holland it's pretty good, I went to collect my dutch car before Christmas using the train, all 3 were on time, all at the correct platforms and only about 30 mins longer than the 1hr 45 min drive, so not bad.

[Alpinestarhero]

I have a good reason not to use public transport; expense.

By the time I pay for all the fuel in one year, and insurance, and tax, and MoT....i've still saved on buying a travel card every week for the same amount of time

[shonadoll]

Yep, UK public transport is rubbish. I never use it.

Out here in Holland it's pretty good, I went to collect my dutch car before Christmas using the train, all 3 were on time, all at the correct platforms and only about 30 mins longer than the 1hr 45 min drive, so not bad.
Yeah the trains and trams are great over there. Always nice and clean and on time.

[Ed]

We live about 2.5 miles south of S'bury town centre. The bus return fare is £3.60 - that's Arriva. I'd rather walk it.

[davepreston]

tell the lad to get a taxi from darlo to catt its £5 each if he grabs 3 others to jump in with him as stated their easy to spot the buses are **** and tell him to sate the barracks not the garrison its a fair tab from marne bks to itc trust me. and don't be late be at least 15 mins early an hour if possible gives you a chance to have a quite friendly chat with the d.s before they turn into the evil dilitonts you will have for the next 12 weeks

aaggghhh memories :)

[Bedhead]

You should try it in NI, we have one transport company, subsidised by the government so they can pretty much be as useless as they want without worrying about competition, the unions hold the bosses to ransom and as a result we probably have the worst public transport system in the UK.

Some of the trains are 35 years old and the powerplants in some of the younger ones were saved from 1960's rolling stock scrapped in the 80's

We have some pretty pink buses but I reckon the drivers need to ask for mirrors to be fitted to them.

£1.50 for a journey of less than 2 miles.

[Dicky Ticker]

I like using public transport,especially the bus,its very cheap---------I have a bus pass

[yorkie_chris]

Makes me laugh how public transport, (meant to be for people who can't afford a vehicle and it's too far/you too drunk to cycle) is more expensive than using any other vehicle...

[metalangel]

Some of the trains are 35 years old and the powerplants in some of the younger ones were saved from 1960's rolling stock scrapped in the 80's

OH NO! They still work don't they?

[speedplay]

I looked into getting the train from Northampton to Bournville as its going to clock up 25k+ on the car.

£12.50 a day to travel in a packed and stinking train, one change of train + £25 a week to park the car at the station this end.


I summed it up and bought a diesel car instead.

[missyburd]

I summed it up and bought a diesel car instead.
Just to waste more money in fuel as you sit in rush hour traffic :-P

[yorkie_chris]

Train is no quicker than car even in traffic, it takes about an hour and a half to get to leeds uni from here in car in rush hour, train is 40 minutes, but then add on time to get from here to train station and from other station to uni. Annnnnd you'll do neither, just ride a bike there in 30 mins :-D

[metalangel]

To work by train: 12 minutes walk to station, 22 minutes on train, 15 mintues walk to office. 49 minutes.

By car (rush hour): 75 minutes
By bike (rush hour): 70 minutes
By car or bike (non rush hour): 30 minutes

[speedplay]

Just to waste more money in fuel as you sit in rush hour traffic :-P


The amount of times I have collected my friend when he was using the train on the same line, I think I'm better off using the car.

It takes an hour and a half in the morning (depending on traffic) but thats been factored into when I accepted the job offer (wages cover it;)).

Trains can be so hit and miss in any sort of bad weather that I'd rather not take the risk.

[timwilky]

so over a year old and this thread is resurrected.

Well he did get there that day, in a car. At the moment he is in hiding, we don't know where. AWOL since christmas, silly boy

[speedplay]

Probably waiting for the train somewhere..

[davepreston]

hang the traitorous barsteward

[Bedhead]

OH NO! They still work don't they?

That's the problem, they don't, they frequently break down completely, or have no heating, or in one case the bloody engine blew up and caught fire.

The last of them is due to be retired in 2012 and the whole network will have modern trains. Except the trackage is so poor they're restricted to a maximum of 70 mph.

[Quiff Wichard]

well I never have trouble with the train..

but then I do live in Crewe

[ophic]

Train is no quicker than car even in traffic, it takes about an hour and a half to get to leeds uni from here in car in rush hour, train is 40 minutes, but then add on time to get from here to train station and from other station to uni. Annnnnd you'll do neither, just ride a bike there in 30 mins :-D
When I studied in Leeds, I caught the train from Hudds every day. Student railcard made it cheap... getting distracted by every pub along the way made it a lot more expensive :cool:

[joshmac]

It also has to be said, tw@'s on phones only happened in the UK.
How is that any different to chatting you someone sitting next to you? I've never understood why people complain about that.

[jamesterror]

1. Over priced
2. Unreliable
3. Cramed
4. Everybody is grumpy

I travel on the train 3/4 days a week during different times of the day, from Leicester the train is never late as it starts there, but when its coming from Birmingham New Street its 2/3 times late. If I could be bothered to serious rant, I think the issue lies with the subsidisation by the government in relation to ticket prices rather than trying to encourage people to use their vehicles for 5 less miles a week.

[beabert]

How is that any different to chatting you someone sitting next to you? I've never understood why people complain about that.

Nor me, its the music thats ****es me off

[joshmac]

Nor me, its the music thats ****es me off
Ah tell me about it! Playing it as loud as their phone can handle thinking they're in their own private little rave, but in reality it's just a tinny noise coming out the tiny speaker. :smt066