Faremax: Travel Forums

How come train travel is so expensive?

Unless I use a special offer, Newcastle to London return can be over 150 pounts - I can fly for 50!  Or get the coach for 2 pounds if I book early enough 24 if I don't....

Is it just me, or is UK train travel a rip off?

(Yes I know an Apex ticket on the train can be very cheap, but these figures are for more 'normal' booking times and circumstances, not when you spend ages every day checking to see if fares have been released yet).

I am astonished to hear the normal rates by you .there will no such a big difference .
May be someone has to go in emergency then he will prefer to go by Air.so there will be massive massive change in the fares!

I wondered the same thing. They are more expensive than the bus and it takes twice as long to get to your destination. Man i thought I was going crazy for a minute.

Perhaps it's the scenery? Although I doubt it... Maybe there's a difference in the types of cars? Luxury Vs. Economic?

I have no idea why the prices are so high, other than the fact that taxes are so high. Also, it was only in recent years that the rails were privatised, and so there has only been a limited time for competition to work on reducing prices. It really is a rip of unless you can get a railcard.

The prices I quoted were for normal class tickets - sure, the train is more comfortable than the coach, but the difference isn't that huge in the time it takes to get there, and planes are more comfortable again and still cheaper....I can get a young persons railcard,but my travelling partner can't so we still have to pay nasty prices.

Its ridiculous to me because there isn't nothing so special about train trips. I get more out of the bus travel than I do out of train travel.

I can definitely see advantages to going by train. For a start the ride can by a lot smoother-the roads around here are rough. You have more room to walk about, more leg room and often a better view because you are not just watching other cars go by. If it's a choice of road or rail, I'll always choose rail.

I guess you do have a point, you do have more room on a train when it comes to cars and buses. But It's the same old thing for me, time goes by slow and I get motion sickness just the same.

Train travel in the U. S. is much different. I took a trip from Missouri to Kasas City and it turned out to be much cheaper then a plane and bus. It would have cost me more in gas if I would have driven. I think it depends on where you are going. I reccommend taking the train when ever you can.

Well, I have not travelled so many times in train in western countries but its not expensive in my area. The rate is same like in the bus in local travel. But I agree that they do not have good service like the west or europe have.

The difference in price between flying and traveling by train doesn't just seem to be big in your area.  In most cases here in North America, train travel is about $20 (dollars) more than flying.  I guess they figure you are almost in a traveling hotel so they can afford to charge these prices!  I am not sure of their reasoning, but train travel seems to be higher than air fare almost all across the board.

I was thinking if I took a train trip to get somewhere this week I could save some money, even if it meant taking more time, but was suprised when I found that wasn't the case.  Train travel is really pointless right now unless you just want to do it for the scenic benefits or are afraid of flying.