attn: I brave British Rail

Baryonyx · #1 10-29-2008, 03:03 AM

I am about to take the first step on a journey via train which involves getting a connecting train. Knowing that British trains are often awful, you'd best all wish me luck!

I will check back here later with details of my journey and how it went. In the meantime, could you suggest ways for me to fill my time on the train journey back? I have a couple of books but there must be more fun to be hand on trains!

discuss.

ROON · #2 10-29-2008, 03:16 AM

Use your phone to send stupid pictures to other commuters via bluetooth.

Toasted · #3 10-29-2008, 03:41 AM

Chris, don't forget to be ripped-off for the priviledge too

Bass_Machine · #4 10-29-2008, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toasted

Chris, don't forget to be ripped-off for the priviledge too

I took a journey on British Rail once, where they overcharged me (ticket was supposed to be £50, ended up paying £160) by travelling at peak hours. I ended up not travelling at peak hours, and so the charge wasn't applicable. Filled in a refund form and was told I cold expect payment within 22 days, but that meant rebuying my ticket at the original price and thus spending over £200 on a journey that should have cost a quarter of that. It's been 2 months and I'm still battling to get my money. They're being such weasels about it, I get so angry.

Toasted · #5 10-29-2008, 05:36 AM

I know dealing with their refunds department can be extremely frustrating. But, it's not exactly their fault that you bought a peak-ticket and then travelled off-peak.

**Vorago** · #6 10-29-2008, 08:57 AM

Edinburgh-Glasgow, single ride; 8 pounds! Ripoff!

Prestwick-Inverness, single ride, 42 pounds, normally, without the Ryanair discount 84 pounds! ***???

This was in Scotland with Scotrail, dunno if Brittish Rail is as expensive, but this really pissed me off.

MakiSupaStar · #7 10-29-2008, 09:17 AM

I've had nothing but good experiences on the British Railway system. I've used it pretty consistently from Coventry to London. On time, clean, and generally pleasant. Price was cheaper than Japan.

Baryonyx · #8 10-29-2008, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toasted

Chris, don't forget to be ripped-off for the priviledge too

Absolutely, even though I have a discount rail card it's still as pricey as hell. On the second train I was on today it was so packed I ended up having to stand in a vestibule next to the stinking toilet. Met a nice guy on the train who was going hiking though, we had a good chat for an hour or so before my train got to where it was going.

dlloyd · #9 10-29-2008, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vorago

Edinburgh-Glasgow, single ride; 8 pounds! Ripoff!

That sounds pretty cheap to me.

**Vorago** · #10 10-29-2008, 09:27 AM

To me it's not, same distance here costs me about 6 to 8 euro's, that's 4 to 5 pounds.

i_got_a_mohawk · #11 10-29-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlloyd

That sounds pretty cheap to me.

Yup!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass_Machine

I took a journey on British Rail once, where they overcharged me (ticket was supposed to be £50, ended up paying £160) by travelling at peak hours. I ended up not travelling at peak hours, and so the charge wasn't applicable. Filled in a refund form and was told I cold expect payment within 22 days, but that meant rebuying my ticket at the original price and thus spending over £200 on a journey that should have cost a quarter of that. It's been 2 months and I'm still battling to get my money. They're being such weasels about it, I get so angry.

Should have paid attention and not bought peak hour tickets then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vorago

Edinburgh-Glasgow, single ride; 8 pounds! Ripoff!

Prestwick-Inverness, single ride, 42 pounds, normally, without the Ryanair discount 84 pounds! ***???

This was in Scotland with Scotrail, dunno if Brittish Rail is as expensive, but this really pissed me off.

Again, Im assuming you probably paid peak time there.

The thing with the trains is you have to know WHEN to buy tickets. Granted, the train is pretty expensive, but it isnt that much more expensive than bus, and it is alot quicker.

Also, Ive been on many many trains and never once had anything other than good service. Also, if you buy a cheap day return in advance, you can jump on a peak time train, the guys who check the tickets dont really seem to care.

Best train fare ever was a few years back, went to leeds festival, the train from Dundee to Leeds cost me £21.50 for a return

( single was down as ~£50 each way). Just need to check all the different prices.

i_got_a_mohawk · #12 10-29-2008, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vorago

To me it's not, same distance here costs me about 6 to 8 euro's, that's 4 to 5 pounds.

Thats what happens with living in a different country, welcome to the UK where everything is more expensive.

My bus to uni was £5 return each day when doing my undergrad, for what takes 20 minutes in a car.

**Vorago** · #13 10-29-2008, 11:45 AM

Well see, the peak time prices are completely new to me! I didn't know that !

i_got_a_mohawk · #14 10-29-2008, 12:03 PM

Thats the way it goes, when the train is going to be busiest they charge through the teeth

chrisisnotevil · #15 10-29-2008, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris2112

Absolutely, even though I have a discount rail card it's still as pricey as hell. On the second train I was on today it was so packed I ended up having to stand in a vestibule next to the stinking toilet. Met a nice guy on the train who was going hiking though, we had a good chat for an hour or so before my train got to where it was going.

between stockport (home) and nottingham (used to be home), literally 2 out of every say, 5 times, i'd have the same deal, often without a guy going hiking to talk to. it's an integral part of travelling on the british rail network. the worst one is when the cancelled all trains from london to the midlands and all trains london to hull, so three or four trains worth of people were squished onto one, again, i was by the loo. it was hot, sweaty and horrific. and there was the time it took me seven and a half hours to do a three hour journey because of simple incompetance, not even a technical failure. trains here suck sometimes, but it could be worse. it could be national express...

MakiSupaStar · #16 10-29-2008, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisisnotevil

between stockport (home) and nottingham (used to be home), literally 2 out of every say, 5 times, i'd have the same deal, often without a guy going hiking to talk to. it's an integral part of travelling on the british rail network. the worst one is when the cancelled all trains from london to the midlands and all trains london to hull, so three or four trains worth of people were squished onto one, again, i was by the loo. it was hot, sweaty and horrific. and there was the time it took me seven and a half hours to do a three hour journey because of simple incompetance, not even a technical failure. trains here suck sometimes, but it could be worse. it could be national express...

Or you can not have any trains whatsoever, then you drive around in gridlock. Welcome to California.

*smb · #17 10-29-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass_Machine

British Rail don't sell the tickets. Nothing to do with them.

chrisisnotevil · #18 10-29-2008, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Or you can not have any trains whatsoever, then you drive around in gridlock. Welcome to California.

this is true, i shouldn't complain really. just wish they were run a bit better.

Techmonkey · #19 10-29-2008, 05:40 PM

£5 swansea to cardiff single... £8 return (or thereabouts).

we're talking a hefty journey here, that's a fair stretch down the M4... can't complain like. trains are fairly regular, rarely more than 5 minutes late... only complaint is they're always heaving!

Fassa Albrecht · #20 10-29-2008, 07:18 PM

Trains over here suck.

If I need to get back home to sunny Hartlepool, there is only one train an hour. What makes it a kicker is that it's only a two carriage train, and they don't even bother to add extra carriages even at peak times, such as 4-6pm when people are going home from work.

The last time I went home, I had my two basses (one gig-bag, one hard case), a rucksack, a suitcase, a laptop and another little bag to carry. I had to sit on my suitcase the majority of the journey because it was the 4.30pm train and so was packed.
I got charged £7.20 for the pleasure of what is normally a 30min journey by car.