Post by: on August 18, 2007, 10:37:23 am
Last weekend I visited Northumberland staying at Bamburgh. We thought we would go to Edinburgh for the day, so straight after breakfast got the bus to Berwick-on-Tweed, only to find that the bus got there five minutes after the Edinburgh train left, meaning that we had to wait an hour and ten minutes for the next one! We then looked at the time coming back. The last bus back to Bamburgh was at 17:50, but guess what? The train from Edinburgh arrives in Berwick at 18:00! You couldn't make it up. This meant that we had to get back for 16:30. It all turned what should have been a liesurely day round the city of Edinburgh into a break-neck whistle stop.
Example two:
I need to go to London in September. The cheapest available return ticket is 47 return = 110 Mars bars). Apparently it can be cheaper if you get two singles. "OK" I thought. So I clicked on the singles link. It started off quite good, I found that I can get a single ticket from Nottingham to St. Pancras for 7. Not bad. However the cheapest single coming back is 47!!! Are they having a laugh!? Two singles would be dearer than the return fare.
If Gordon brown has anything about him he will renationalize the railways now and get the whole train-bus thing intergrated like the rest of Europe.
Post by: oldspice on August 18, 2007, 11:15:28 am
My college recently sent me to London for a conference. It is a straight run from Peterborough to London - no changes. Because I was travelling before 8.30am the college had to pay a full wack - 48 return on First Captial Connect (a slow train that stops everywhere on the way down) or 98 on GNER - a 125 through train. Both prices are ludicrous for the lenth of journey (about 90 miles). In most of Europe it would have cost about 12.
Post by: on August 18, 2007, 12:30:12 pm
Post by: smurfboy on August 18, 2007, 04:44:00 pm
Post by: Logger on August 18, 2007, 05:59:11 pm
Basically, I refuse to use local buses anymore...they are so expensive that it is cheaper for use to travel locally by taxi!!!
As for the trains, well don't get me started. First there is the abominable cost and then there is the prospect of being crammed in like sardines and spending 3 hours stood inbetween a bloke with severe BO and the toilet.
I prefer to travel by National Express coach wherever possible. It is cheaper and more comfortable that the train and at least you are guaranteed a seat. The only part I'm not keen on is waiting at Digbeth Coach Station. It's seriously run down and you get some really odd looking people hanging around. I hear they are rebuilding it though...I hope so.
Post by: oldspice on August 18, 2007, 06:33:46 pm
The downside of getting a coach to London from here is that it takes about two-and-a-half hours and goes into Victoria whereas the longest train journey is about an hour and twenty minutes.
Post by: goldencup on August 18, 2007, 10:22:57 pm
Post by: Logger on August 18, 2007, 11:19:47 pm
Post by: smurfboy on August 19, 2007, 01:39:42 pm
Post by: smurfboy on August 19, 2007, 01:40:16 pm
P.S. Yes, they are rebuilding Digbeth at some point.
Post by: Logger on August 19, 2007, 09:51:16 pm
Quote from: smurfboy
Logger - have you tried getting the MegaBus from Birmingham to London? It's supposedly a bit of a cattle cart, but you can go as cheaply as a quid.
No I haven't, I'm pretty new to the area so I'm still finding my feet. Thanks for that, I'll definitely check it out 
Post by: Forth Bridges on August 19, 2007, 10:58:13 pm
for anyone one that need boost in Bus service please look at the following
Stagecoach Cambridge
Treantbarton
Burnley & pendal
If the intergreated Transport got done it would solve half the problems
NOTE if you return ticket was After 4pm then its counts as PEAK!
Not you should thank you self for not living in Falkirk area nor essex
Post by: Forth Bridges on August 19, 2007, 11:00:08 pm
Quote from: Logger
Quote from: smurfboyLogger - have you tried getting the MegaBus from Birmingham to London? It's supposedly a bit of a cattle cart, but you can go as cheaply as a quid.No I haven't, I'm pretty new to the area so I'm still finding my feet. Thanks for that, I'll definitely check it out
http://www.megabus.com/uk/
also new service from Birmingham - Preston - scotland coming soon
Post by: Logger on August 19, 2007, 11:04:52 pm
This is a service I will definitely use in the future. I'm particularly interested in the London route as I have family there. A couple of days ago I had a look on the British Rail website to see how much it would cost for all 5 of us to travel from Tamworth to London...couldn't believe it when the cheapest return that could be offered to me was 256!!! No way would I pay it - I'd rather walk!!!!!
Bus and coach travel is definitely the way to go.
Post by: Forth Bridges on August 20, 2007, 09:21:26 pm
Post by: on August 21, 2007, 09:16:29 pm
I will bed all of Girls Aloud in their school uniforms before we get integrated transport in this rotten country. If they can't even intergrate the tickets, how can they intergrate the trains?
Post by: Forth Bridges on August 22, 2007, 12:04:44 pm
WHY???
Post by: smurfboy on August 22, 2007, 03:04:55 pm
Post by: Forth Bridges on August 22, 2007, 04:21:07 pm
East midland trains
http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/
and
http://www.londonmidland.co.uk/
Post by: smurfboy on August 23, 2007, 12:54:00 am
Maybe it was a system error or something.
Post by: goldencup on August 23, 2007, 06:33:11 pm
Post by: Forth Bridges on August 27, 2007, 06:03:56 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6965043.stm
