All 1 entries tagged Travel

Heartened and yet saddened too

We’re all supposed to be much better off using public transport apparently. For once it seems that a small miracle has happened and it is cheaper to use the train than the plane. In mid July, Emma and I will need to travel from Glasgow to Nottingham on a Saturday and back the following day. Obviously there are three options for this, Driving, Flying or the Train. It’s about a 300 mile journey each way give or take a mile.

Plane from Glasgow to Birmingham (no available flights to EMA) – £190.90 for two, then £48 for the train ride or £238 total
Train from Glasgow to Nottingham – £78 for me, £52 for Emma or £130 total
Car – 600 miles at 40mpg = 70l Petrol = £80 or so

Now fair enough there is the option of the bus on Megabus or National Express but both require being up at stupid-o-clock for a total cost of £50 and then we’ve somehow got to get to Brum on the Sunday for 5am – just not feasible.

There’s also all the other costs of running the car, but the thing is, it depreciates whether I drive it or not, just the amount varies slightly. It’s insured whether I drive it or not and it’s taxed just the same so the marginal cost of the journey is pretty much fuel because tire wear will be negligible on that journey.

It’s heartening that the Train costs less than the flight now, which is a good thing for the world in general but it’s still nearly 63% more expensive than private motoring. Surely something is desperately wrong with the world if the cleanest, greenest transport is also more expensive.

Christopher Hinds : 11 Jun 2008 21:32 |  Tags: Public Transport Travel |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem